Save Our Ships Act

There is established in the Department of the Interior the Historic Naval Ship Preservation Grant Program to support the physical preservation of historic military vessels, ensuring the continued availability of these vessels to the American public to educate on the past and inspire the future of United States military maritime endeavors.

The Program shall be administered by the Secretary, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.

In carrying out the Program, the Secretary may award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for the following activities:

(1) Conserving and preserving historic military vessels at covered sites, including—

(A) physical upkeep and repair of the vessels; and

(B) mitigating environmental hazards or damage to the vessels.

(2) Implementing education and workforce development programs related to military maritime careers, including shipbuilding and submarine construction.

In carrying out the Program, the Secretary may award grants to a unit of State or local government or a private nonprofit organization that administers a covered site.

To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an organization that administers a covered site shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the Program $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year thereafter.

In this Act:

The term covered site means a museum, memorial, monument, educational center, or other venue that provides public access to, or publicly displays, a historic military vessel.

The term historic military vessel means a vessel that has been decommissioned or otherwise removed from service and—

(A) was owned and operated by the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard, other than a time- or voyage-chartered vessel;

(B) was owned and operated by the Department of Transportation and designated by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating as a vessel equivalent to a vessel described in subparagraph (A); or

(C) was built for, or pursuant to a contract with, the United States Maritime Commission or other legacy branch of the Department of Transportation and at some point in the vessel’s service was equipped with armaments and embarked Navy Armed Guard personnel to operate the armaments.

The term Program means the Historic Naval Ship Preservation Grant Program established by subsection (a).

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service.