US Federal House Bill HB249

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/25
• Refer: 1/9/25
• Report Pass: 2/12/25
• Engrossed: 5/14/25

Caption

To redesignate certain facilities at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr.

Summary

HB249 is a commemorative naming bill that redesignates two facilities within Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in New Jersey in honor of former Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. Specifically, it renames the Great Falls Scenic Overlook Trail Bridge as the Bill Pascrell, Jr. Scenic Overlook Trail Bridge and Overlook Park as the Bill Pascrell, Jr. Overlook Park. The bill also provides a conforming-reference clause so that any existing federal law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record referring to the original facility names will be treated as referring to the new names. It does not create new programs, funding, regulatory requirements, or land-use changes; its effect is limited to federal nomenclature at the national historical park.

Impact

HB249 amends the official federal names of two park सुविधities at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and directs that all federal references to the old names be read as references to the new names. Its legal impact is narrow and administrative, affecting federal records, signage, maps, and references rather than substantive park management, property rights, or public access. The bill primarily affects the National Park Service and any federal documents that use the prior facility names.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad bipartisan support for the bill, with the House passing it overwhelmingly by a vote of 361-50 under suspension of the rules. That margin indicates generally favorable sentiment toward honoring Congressman Pascrell through a commemorative designation. No committee transcript is available in the provided materials, and the bill’s status shows it has had hearings in the House Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks.

Contention

Because the measure is a naming bill, there is little evidence of substantive policy disagreement in the provided record. Any potential contention would likely be limited to whether federal legislation should be used for commemorative naming or whether the selected facilities are the appropriate memorials for Congressman Pascrell. The recorded House vote, however, suggests that any such objections were not significant enough to prevent strong passage.