Bill Summary
The "Preserving Great Americans' Legacies Act of 2025" is a piece of legislation designed to prevent the Secretary of the Navy from changing the names of certain naval vessels that honor notable individuals. As of the enactment date, the Secretary is prohibited from renaming any naval ship that is named after individuals such as Cesar Chavez, Medgar Evers, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Dolores Huerta, Thurgood Marshall, Harvey Milk, Lucy Stone, and Harriet Tubman. This act aims to preserve the recognition of these influential figures in American history.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the "Preserving Great Americans' Legacies Act of 2025" could affect people:
1. **Cultural and Historical Recognition**: The legislation ensures that naval vessels named after prominent figures like Harriet Tubman and Thurgood Marshall maintain their names, which can help preserve and promote awareness of these individuals' contributions to civil rights and social justice. This recognition can enhance public understanding of their legacies, fostering a sense of pride and inspiration among communities, particularly those that identify with the values these figures championed.
2. **Impact on Naval Policy and Operations**: By prohibiting the Secretary of the Navy from changing vessel names, this legislation could affect the Navy's ability to adapt its fleet branding and public relations strategies. If the Navy wishes to rebrand or contextualize its vessels based on contemporary values or missions, this law could limit those efforts, potentially leading to frustration among naval leadership and operational challenges related to fleet identity.
3. **Public Engagement and Activism**: The act may galvanize public interest and activism around the values represented by the named individuals. Supporters of the figures honored may engage in advocacy, educational campaigns, and commemorative events that celebrate their legacies. Conversely, it may also spark debates and protests from those who believe that some figures should not be honored due to their controversial histories, leading to further societal discourse on the criteria for honoring historical figures.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3993 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3993
To prohibit the Secretary of the Navy from changing the names of
certain naval vessels.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 12, 2025
Mr. Peters (for himself, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Takano, Mr. Vargas, Mr.
Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr.
Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Norton, Mr. Garamendi, Ms. Jacobs, Ms. Sanchez, and
Mr. Levin) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To prohibit the Secretary of the Navy from changing the names of
certain naval vessels.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Preserving Great Americans' Legacies
Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON NAME CHANGE OF CERTAIN NAVAL VESSELS.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 8662(b) of title 10,
United States Code, the Secretary of the Navy may not change the name
of any naval vessel that, as of the date of the enactment of this Act,
is named after an individual referred to in subsection (b).
(b) Individuals.--An individual referred to in this subsection is
any of the following:
(1) Cesar Chavez.
(2) Medgar Evers.
(3) Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
(4) Dolores Huerta.
(5) Thurgood Marshall.
(6) Harvey Milk.
(7) Lucy Stone.
(8) Harriet Tubman.
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