House Passes Bipartisan FY26 Interior Appropriations Package with Increased Historic Preservation Funding

Dear Colleagues,

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan and bicameral package of three FY26 appropriations bills, including the FY26 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The package passed with strong bipartisan support by a vote of 397–28 and includes several important provisions for historic preservation.

Overall, the Interior Appropriations bill largely rejected the harmful cuts proposed in the President’s budget request. Notably, the bill increases funding for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) to $181.059 million, a $12.159 million increase over FY25 enacted levels. This represents the first increase in HPF funding in multiple years, a significant achievement given the challenging budget environment. The bill also includes a provision reauthorizing deposits into the HPF through September of this year, addressing a lapse that occurred in 2023.

The HPF funding breakdown is as follows:

• $62.15 million for State Historic Preservation Offices (same as FY25)

• $23.75 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices ($750,000 above FY25)

• $25.5 million for the Save America’s Treasures grant program (same as FY25)

• $24 million for African American Civil Rights Grants (same as FY25)

• $11 million for the HBCU Preservation Grant Program (same as FY25)

• $7.906 million for the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program ($2.094 million below FY25)

• $5 million for Historic Equal Rights Grants (same as FY25)

• $4.907 million for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program ($2.093 million below FY25)

• $1.25 million for Underrepresented Communities Grants (same as FY25)

• $15.596 million for Congressionally Directed Spending for HPF projects (an increase of $15.596 million over FY25)

While we are encouraged by the overall increase, the bill unfortunately includes cuts to the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program and the Semiquincentennial Grant Program. It is also worth noting that while the bill text references a total HPF level of $205.059 million, we understand this to be an error, with the correct total funding level at $181.059 million.

Impact on New Jersey

For New Jersey, this funding package has meaningful implications. Level funding for State Historic Preservation Offices ensures continued support for the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office’s core responsibilities, including National Register nominations, project reviews, and technical assistance that underpin preservation efforts statewide. Continued funding for competitive grant programs—such as Save America’s Treasures, African American Civil Rights Grants, and Underrepresented Communities Grants—provides important opportunities for New Jersey municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and community groups to preserve historic sites that reflect the state’s diverse cultural, industrial, and civil rights history.

In addition, the inclusion of Congressionally Directed Spending for HPF projects creates opportunities for targeted investments in New Jersey preservation projects, supporting rehabilitation work that can drive local economic development, heritage tourism, and job creation, particularly in older downtowns and historically underserved communities. While reductions to the Paul Bruhn program may limit resources for rural and small community revitalization efforts in parts of the state, the overall HPF increase and reauthorization of deposits represent a positive step forward for New Jersey’s preservation community.

Beyond HPF, the bill includes $8.285 million for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, rejecting substantial cuts proposed in earlier versions of the House bill and the President’s budget. It also maintains level funding for National Park Service operations and includes provisions to retain critical staff and ensure continued congressional oversight.

The Senate is expected to vote on this package next week. Congress is also anticipated to take up funding packages for the remaining six appropriations bills in the coming weeks, ahead of the expiration of the current Continuing Resolution at the end of the month. While we are pleased that this bill largely maintains support for key preservation priorities and rejects the most severe cuts, we continue to urge Congress to provide robust and sustained funding for the HPF and related programs.

You can review the full bill and the list of Congressionally Directed HPF projects for additional details here fy26_int_jes. Stay tuned for further updates as the appropriations process continues.

Best regards,

Preservation New Jersey