RESTORE Act

H.R. 1704, the RESTORE Act (Revitalizing and Empowering Freedom Settlements Through Opportunity, Resilience, and Education Act), would create a new National Freedom Settlements Preservation Program within the National Park Service. The bill would authorize the federal government to provide grants to property owners, state and local governments, tribal governments, and community organizations to help identify, preserve, restore, and educate the public about Freedmen's Settlements—communities established by formerly enslaved African Americans following emancipation, also known as Freedom Colonies or Black Towns. Over 1,200 such settlements were established throughout the United States between 1866 and 1930, creating self-sustaining communities away from racial violence and economic discrimination.

If enacted, the bill would authorize $3 million annually from 2026 through 2031 for grants supporting cultural and heritage preservation, restoration, tourism development, research, documentation, capacity-building, and educational programming related to these historic settlements. The program would maintain a registry of identified Freedom Settlements and establish an advisory committee of community leaders and descendants. The bill includes protections for private property owners, requiring their written consent before settlements on their land can be included in the program and prohibiting the federal government from imposing management requirements on private property as a condition of receiving grants.