Constitution Index · S. 858 · 2025-03-05
Hershel ‘Woody' Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act
Latest official status (2026-09-10): Became Public Law No: 119-104.
Constitutional grade
A
Constitutional
This bill designates a location for a monument on federal land, which falls within Congress's enumerated power to manage and dispose of federal property under Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2. It does not restrict any rights, impose obligations on individuals, or consolidate power upward beyond the necessary federal role in managing the National Mall. The bill passes all five constitutional checks with no infringement on individual sovereignty, due process, or the Bill of Rights.
Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 Amendment X Amendment V
SI-generated grade · passed automated checks (real Constitution citation, language rules) · not individually reviewed by a person · methodology · Report an error: hello@valuesforamerica.com
The five checks
Enumerated powers · passes
Congress has explicit constitutional authority under Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 (the Property Clause) to 'make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States.' The National Mall is federal property, and designating a location for a monument on that property is a valid exercise of this power. No enumerated power is exceeded.
Bill of Rights · passes
The bill does not regulate speech, religion, assembly, press, petition, arms, quartering, search and seizure, self-incrimination, due process, takings, trial rights, or cruel and unusual punishment. It imposes no restrictions on any right protected by the first ten amendments. No Bill of Rights provision is implicated.
Individual liberty · passes
The bill does not restrict any individual's control over their person, property, speech, labor, or belief. It merely designates a location for a monument on federal land. No individual is required to act, refrain from acting, or surrender any right. The government bears no burden to justify a restriction because no restriction exists.
Decentralization · passes
The bill passes all four decentralization questions. (1) An individual or family could not handle this because the National Mall is federal property requiring federal authorization. (2) A local community or county could not handle this because the land is under federal jurisdiction. (3) A state could not handle this because the National Mall is not state land. (4) The action does not consolidate decision-making upward beyond the minimum necessary; only the federal government can authorize placement on federal land. The Tenth Amendment is not violated because the power over federal property is delegated to Congress by the Constitution.
Due process and takings · passes
The bill does not deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, nor does it take private property for public use. It involves only the placement of a monument on already-public federal land. No due process or takings issue arises under the Fifth Amendment.
Provenance
- Congress.gov: S 858 summary · fetched 2026-10-09 · official page ↗
Version history · never overwritten
| Grade | Graded | Rubric | Source hash | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A · #701 | 2026-10-11 | vfa-constitutional-grade/1.0 | 78695d32e670 | current |
Cite this
Values for America. “Constitutional grade: S. 858, Hershel ‘Woody' Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act.” VFA Constitution Index, grade 701 (rubric vfa-constitutional-grade/1.0), graded October 11, 2026. https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution-index/grades/701. Accessed 2026-10-19.
Permalink: https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution-index/grades/701
Data: this grade as JSON · full export. Attribution required.