New Grant Program Authorizes $5 Million Annually for Historic Naval Ship Preservation Starting in 2026

If you’ve ever toured an old battleship or submarine—maybe on a school trip or a family vacation—you know they’re huge, complex, and constantly fighting rust. The Save Our Ships Act is basically a dedicated federal funding stream to help keep those floating museums from sinking into disrepair.

This legislation establishes the Historic Naval Ship Preservation Grant Program, run by the National Park Service (NPS) within the Department of the Interior. Starting in fiscal year 2026, the bill authorizes $5 million to be appropriated annually. This money is earmarked specifically for the physical preservation of historic military vessels, ensuring they remain accessible to the public for education about U.S. maritime history and military endeavors. Think of it as a specialized maintenance fund for the floating pieces of history that tell America’s story at sea.

Keeping the Rust at Bay

What exactly does $5 million a year buy? The grants are competitive and available to state or local governments and private non-profit organizations that run these “covered sites”—museums or venues that publicly display a historic military vessel. The primary use of the funds is the physical upkeep and repair of the ships, including mitigating environmental damage. For example, that museum running the massive aircraft carrier in your state might finally get the funds needed to replace decaying hull plates or tackle serious corrosion issues that have been deferred for years.

Without this kind of dedicated funding, many of these historic ships—which are essentially giant metal structures sitting in salt water—face a slow, inevitable decline. This bill provides a consistent, targeted way to keep the doors open and the decks safe for visitors.

More Than Just Maintenance: Building the Next Generation

One of the most interesting provisions in the act is that the grant money isn’t just for sanding and painting. It can also be used to fund education and workforce development programs related to military maritime careers, such as shipbuilding and submarine construction. This is a smart move that connects preservation to the future economy.

Imagine a non-profit museum using these funds to start an apprenticeship program where young people learn welding, rigging, and mechanical skills while working on a historic destroyer. This not only preserves the ship but also feeds skilled workers into the modern maritime industry, which is always hungry for talent. It’s a dual-purpose investment: saving the past while building the future workforce.

Who Benefits and What’s the Catch?

The clear beneficiaries here are the numerous non-profit organizations and museums across the country that struggle daily to maintain these massive, costly artifacts. They get a new, dedicated source of federal funding. The American public benefits by having continued access to these important educational sites. The bill also requires the NPS to consult with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense when administering the program, which adds a layer of coordination but could also slow down the grant process.

As with any new federal spending program, the cost is borne by taxpayers, but the amount authorized—$5 million annually—is relatively modest in the context of the federal budget. The key challenge, given the medium vagueness level of the bill, will be how the NPS defines and prioritizes the competitive grants. Will the funding be spread thinly across many sites, or will it be concentrated on the most critically endangered or historically significant vessels? That will be determined during the rulemaking process, but for now, this bill sets a clear course for preserving America’s naval heritage. It’s a pragmatic approach to a very expensive problem.