,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dcbh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #i1        
#bjag,ms4 ,gabbard 7for herself1 ,mr4   
,cleaver1 ,ms4 ,hanabusa1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1
 and ,mr4 ,poe of ,texas7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was referred to  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs to make grants for
 the rehabilitation of ,world ,war ,i   
memorials4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may cited as the ,honoring ,world ,war  
,i ,memorials ,act of #bjag4  #b4       
,findings2 purpose  7a7 ,findings       
,congress makes the following findings3 
7#a7 ,from #bjad through #bjah1 the     
,united ,states and nations around the  
world mark the centennial of ,world ,war
 ,i1 including the entry of the ,united 
,states into the war in ,april #aiag4   
7#b7 ,the ,united ,states entry into the
 war marked the first time in the       
history of the ,united ,states that     
,american soldiers went abroad in       

defense of liberty against foreign      
aggression and it marked the true       
beginning of the ,american ,century4    
7#c7 ,more than #d1jjj1jjj men and women
 from the ,united ,states served in     
uniform during ,world ,war ,i and the   
,united ,states suffered #cge1jjj       
casualties1 including #aaf1eaf deaths4  
7#d7 ,in #bjac1 the ,world ,war ,i      
,centennial ,commission ,act was signed 
into law with a stated goal of ensuring 
a suitable observance of the centennial 
of ,world ,war ,i4  7#e7 ,part of the   
,centennial ,commission's stated mission
 is to bring attention to the thousands 
of ,world ,war ,i memorials in          
communities across the country that     
honor ,americans who served in the war4 
7#f7 ,the ,centennial ,commission has   
found that across the country there are 
local ,world ,war ,i memorials in       
thousands of cities and towns that are  
forgotten and in disrepair4  7#g7 ,the  
,centennial ,commission has found       
sufficient cause to establish a matching

 grant program in recognition of the    
importance of rehabilitating ,world ,war
 ,i memorials4 ,however1 the grant      
amount of #b1jjj is too low for the     
needs of many memorials4  7#h7 ,the     
,centennial ,commission recognizes that 
restoring ,world ,war ,i memorials      
honors those who served and raises      
awareness of this momentous event in the
 ,nation's history4  #c4 ,world ,war ,i 
memorial rehabilitation grant program   
7a7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs shall make grants to 
eligible entities for the purpose of    
rehabilitating ,world ,war ,i memorials4
  7b7 ,eligible entities ,to be eligible
 for a grant under this section1 an     
entity shall-- 7#a7 be a nonprofit      
organization or a ,state or local       
government entity that owns or manages a
 ,world ,war ,i memorial2 and  7#b7     
submit to the ,secretary an application 
containing such information and         
assurances as the ,secretary may        
require1 including a description of the 

rehabilitation project for which the    
entity seeks a grant under this section4
  7c7 ,selection of grant recipients ,in
 selecting recipients of grants under   
this section1 the ,secretary shall      
prioritize1 in descending order1 the    
following3  7#a7 ,entities seeking      
grants to rehabilitate ,world ,war ,i   
memorials listed on the ,national       
,register of ,historic ,places4  7#b7   
,entities seeking grants to rehabilitate
 ,world ,war ,i memorials listed on a   
,state register of historic places4  7d7
 ,use of funds ,the recipient of a grant
 under this section shall use the grant 
to rehabilitate a ,world ,war ,i        
memorial4  7e7 ,amount of grant ,each   
grant provided under this section shall 
be in an amount that does not exceed    
#ae1jjj1jjj1 and #ej percent of the cost
 of the rehabilitation project described
 in the application submitted by the    
eligible entity to which the grant is   
provided4  7f7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there is authorized to  

be appropriated to the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs #ej1jjj1jjj for      
fiscal year #bjah to make grants under  
this section4 ,amounts appropriated     
pursuant to such authorization of       
appropriations shall remain available   
until expended4  7g7 ,definitions ,in   
this section3 7#a7 ,the term            
rehabilitate means1 with respect to a   
memorial1 to repair1 reconstruct1       
restore1 refurbish1 or clean up the     
memorial consistent with the ,secretary 
of the ,interior's ,standards for the   
,treatment of ,historic ,properties 7#cf
 ,c4,f4,r4 #fh7 and applicable          
guidelines4  7#b7 ,the term ,world ,war 
,i memorial means a memorial that the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs        
determines is dedicated to the memory of
 those who served in ,world ,war ,i1 and
 does not include any memorial to       
members of the ,armed ,forces serving in
 multiple wars4