H.R. 309: National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act.
Sponsor
Troy Nehls
Republican · TX-22
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Sep 18, 2025
Subcommittee Hearings Held
H.R. 309 funds a police museum — with free public hours
Why it matters
Up to $42 million in federal support would flow to the National Law Enforcement Museum over seven years, while the museum would have to offer weekly free hours to the public and free admission for officers and families of fallen officers.
H.R. 309 would direct the Interior Department to award a grant to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for each of the first seven fiscal years after enactment. The bill authorizes up to $6 million a year, which adds up to as much as $42 million over the full period.
That money would support the National Law Enforcement Museum's operations and expansion, including memorial programs, public education, officer safety and wellness work, research, traveling exhibits, digitization, and teacher training. The bill also allows the funding to continue museum activities already underway when the law takes effect.
In exchange, the museum would have to offer free admission to active law enforcement officers, retired officers, and family members of fallen officers. It would also have to set aside free admission hours for the general public at least once every week.
The bill adds a public accountability trail, too. The museum's operator would have to file yearly progress and spending reports, and the Secretary of the Interior would have to send those reports to Congress and post them online.
One notable wrinkle: if Congress does not appropriate the full amount in a given year, the bill lets the Secretary transfer up to the same annual cap from National Park Service funds. So the fight is not just over whether the museum gets support, but where the money comes from if regular appropriations fall short.
H.R. 309 Bill Summary
What H.R. 309 actually does.
Federal support reaches up to $42 million
The bill authorizes up to $6 million per fiscal year for seven fiscal years for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund to operate and expand the National Law Enforcement Museum.
Officers and fallen families get free admission
During the grant period, the museum must offer free admission to active law enforcement officers, retired law enforcement officers, and family members of fallen officers.
You get at least one free public access window each week
The museum must provide dedicated free admission hours for the general public at least once a week.
Museum programs expand beyond exhibits
Federal money could support memorial work, fatality and injury statistics, digital and traveling educational resources, research, collections, digitization, teacher training, and officer safety and wellness outreach.
Existing museum work can keep running
The grant can be used not only for new efforts but also to continue activities the museum was already carrying out when the law takes effect.
Yearly reports become public
For each of the first seven fiscal years, the museum's operator must report its progress and spending to Interior, and the department must share those reports with Congress and publish them online.
Who benefits from H.R. 309?
People who want to visit without paying full price
The public would get guaranteed free admission hours at least once every week, creating a regular no-cost entry point instead of occasional special access days.
Active and retired law enforcement officers
They would receive free museum admission during the seven-year grant period, plus expanded programming focused on law enforcement history, officer safety, and wellness.
Families of fallen officers
They would get free access to a museum and memorial space built around remembering officers killed in the line of duty.
The museum and its operator
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund would become eligible for up to $42 million over seven years to support museum operations, outreach, collections, and education work.
Teachers, students, and researchers
The bill would fund curriculum materials, teacher training, digitized collections, and scholarly work that supporters say could broaden the museum's reach beyond Washington.
Who is affected by H.R. 309?
National Park Service programs
If Congress does not appropriate the full amount, the bill lets Interior shift up to $6 million a year from National Park Service funds, which could redirect money that would otherwise support park-related priorities.
The Secretary of the Interior
Interior would have to award the grant, monitor compliance with the free-admission rules, receive annual reports, publish them online, and decide whether to use transfer authority if appropriated funds fall short.
Museum operators and staff
To receive federal support, they would need to meet ongoing conditions on admissions, maintain programming, and provide yearly accounting of how federal money was spent.
Congress
Lawmakers would have to decide each year whether to provide the full funding directly and would receive annual public reports on what the money produced.
Cost & Funding
Authorization
$6,000,000 per year for seven fiscal years, or up to $42,000,000 total
- Back-of-napkin math: $6 million annually for seven years equals a potential $42 million federal commitment.
- The money would go through a grant from the Secretary of the Interior to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
- If Congress does not appropriate the full amount in a year, the bill allows Interior to transfer up to $6 million from National Park Service funds.
- The bill text says the funding can support both new work and museum activities already in progress when the law takes effect.
- The bill's findings also note that no federal funds were used to build the museum when it opened in 2018.
HR309 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Sep 18, 2025
Subcommittee Hearings Held
House: Committee Action
Sep 11, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
House: Committee Action
Jan 9, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
About the Sponsor
Troy Nehls
Republican, Texas's 22nd congressional district · 5 years in Congress
Committees: House Select Subcommittee to Investigate the Remaining Questions Surrounding January 6, 2021, the Judiciary, Transportation and Infrastructure
View full profile →
Cosponsors (124)
This bill has 124 cosponsors: 49 Democrats, 75 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 35 states: Arkansas, Arizona, California, and 32 more.
Jimmy Panetta
Democrat · CA
Pete Stauber
Republican · MN
Jim Costa
Democrat · CA
Julia Brownley
Democrat · CA
Doug LaMalfa
Republican · CA
Clay Higgins
Republican · LA
Shri Thanedar
Democrat · MI
Nancy Mace
Republican · SC
David Valadao
Republican · CA
Brian Babin
Republican · TX
Juan Ciscomani
Republican · AZ
Michael Lawler
Republican · NY
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Natural Resources Committee
14 of 45 committee members cosponsored
16 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 309 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Natural Resources
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Introduced
- Jan 9, 2025
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Sep 18, 2025
Official Sources
Official legislative status page for H.R. 309, including text, actions, sponsors, and related materials.
Relevant because the bill allows the Secretary of the Interior to transfer up to the annual cap from National Park Service funds if appropriations fall short.
The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to award and oversee the grant funding for the museum.
Official text of the National Law Enforcement Museum Act, cited in the bill's findings as the law that authorized the museum on federal land.
Official publication of the law cited in the findings that authorized establishment of the National Law Enforcement Heroes Memorial.
Useful for locating any Congressional Budget Office cost estimate for H.R. 309 if one has been published.
Official Justice Department statistics source relevant to the bill's discussion of law enforcement fatalities, injuries, and related national data.
Relevant to the bill's emphasis on community policing, public education, and outreach related to law enforcement and communities.
H.R. 309 Common Questions
How much money does H.R. 309 provide?
H.R. 309 authorizes up to $6 million a year for seven fiscal years for the National Law Enforcement Museum—up to $42 million total.
Would the public get free admission to the museum?
Yes. H.R. 309 requires the museum to offer dedicated free admission hours for the general public at least once every week.
Who gets free museum admission under H.R. 309?
Active law enforcement officers, retired officers, and family members of fallen officers would get free admission during the seven-year grant period.
Can H.R. 309 use National Park Service money?
Yes. If Congress does not appropriate the full amount, the bill lets the Secretary of the Interior transfer up to $6 million a year from National Park Service funds.
What would the funding actually pay for?
It could pay for museum operations, memorial programs, fatality and injury statistics, digital and traveling exhibits, research, collections, digitization, and teacher training.
Does H.R. 309 fund work the museum already started?
Yes. The bill says the money can continue museum activities already underway when the law takes effect, not just brand-new programs.
Would the museum have to report how it spends federal money?
Yes. The museum's operator would have to file yearly progress and spending reports, and Interior would have to post them online and send them to Congress.
What staffing trends does the bill cite?
The bill's findings cite Police Executive Research Forum data showing nearly a 24% increase in retirements and more than a 47% increase in resignations since 2020.
Based on H.R. 309 bill text
H.R. 309 Bill Text
“To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide funding for the National Law Enforcement Museum, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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