Justice for America’s Veterans and Survivors Act of 2025

House Bill

H.R. 3627

119th Congress

Justice for America’s Veterans and Survivors Act of 2025

In Committee

Introduced:Sep 30, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Charles (Chuck) Marion Edwards

Representative

Republican

NC-11

Cosponsors

8

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Summary

This bill establishes guidelines for the design and construction of federal government buildings in the United States. It requires these buildings to have a classical architectural style, respect regional heritage, and be visually identifiable as civic structures. The bill also mandates that the General Services Administration seek public input on building designs before approving them.

Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill establishes guidelines for the design and construction of federal government buildings in the United States. It requires these buildings to have a classical architectural style, respect regional heritage, and be visually identifiable as civic structures. The bill also mandates that the General Services Administration seek public input on building designs before approving them.

Last updated: 12/29/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act This bill declares U.S. policy applicable to public buildings and establishes the President's Council on Improving Federal Civic Architecture. The policy includes that <ul> <li>applicable federal public buildings should uplift and beautify public spaces, command respect from the general public, be visually identifiable as civic buildings, respect regional architectural heritage, and meet other specified criteria;</li> <li>in the District of Columbia, classical architecture is the preferred and default architecture for federal public buildings absent exceptional factors; </li> <li>buildings that do not meet specified criteria should be considered for redesign where feasible and economical, particularly with respect to the exterior of the applicable federal building; and</li> <li>the General Services Administration (GSA) should seek input from future users of the applicable federal public buildings and the general public in the community where such buildings will be located before selecting an architectural firm or design style and give the general public's input substantial consideration.</li> </ul> The GSA must adhere to the policy. If the GSA proposes to approve a design for a new applicable federal public building that diverges from the preferred architecture, it must notify the Office of the Domestic Policy Advisor and Congress not later than 30 days before the date on which the GSA could reject the design without incurring substantial expenditures and describe the reasons for proposing to approve the design.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

The bill establishes a national policy for the design of federal public buildings, including that classical architecture is the preferred style in Washington, D.C.
It requires federal buildings to meet certain criteria, such as uplifting public spaces and commanding respect from the public.
The General Services Administration must seek input from the public and future building users before approving designs, and notify the White House and Congress if a design deviates from the preferred style.

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If this bill becomes law, it would affect the design and construction of all new federal government buildings across the United States. This could lead to changes in the architectural style of public facilities like courthouses, post offices, and other civic structures. The public would have more of a voice in the design process, but the bill may limit design flexibility and increase construction costs in some cases.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Related Subjects

Advisory bodies

Architecture

Congressional oversight

General Services Administration

Government buildings, facilities, and property

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

3627, 119th Congress (2025). "Justice for America’s Veterans and Survivors Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-3627