House Passes Pallone Bill to Honor Bill Pascrell at Paterson Great Falls

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed legislation authored by Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) to rename two prominent sites at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of the late Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. The Bill Pascrell, Jr. Scenic Overlook Trail Bridge and Bill Pascrell, Jr. Overlook Park will serve as lasting tributes to the Paterson native who dedicated his life to public service and to preserving the city’s role in American history.

Congresswoman Nellie Pou (NJ-09), who now represents Pascrell’s district and is also a Paterson native, managed the bipartisan legislation on the House floor, where it overwhelmingly passed under suspension of the rules. The bill now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

“Bill Pascrell spent his life fighting for the city that raised him,” said Pallone. “He believed in Paterson, in its people, and in preserving its proud place in our national story. Without Bill, Great Falls wouldn’t be a national park, and the story of Paterson’s contribution to the American industrial revolution might have been lost to history. Renaming these sites in his honor is a small but lasting way to recognize everything he did to lift up his community and preserve its legacy.”

Pascrell played a pivotal role in establishing the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in 2009 and later expanding it to include the historic Hinchliffe Stadium – a rare surviving Negro League baseball venue. His work ensured national recognition of Paterson’s central role in America’s industrial revolution.

“Few public servants have shaped Paterson or New Jersey more than Bill Pascrell,” said Congresswoman Pou. “He understood the importance of honoring our past while fighting for our future. Every brick and every drop of the Falls tells a story about Paterson and America, and now those stories will include Bill. I was proud to help lead this effort on the House floor in tribute to my friend and mentor. I look forward to its swift passage into law.”

In addition to his work preserving Paterson’s cultural heritage, Pascrell was a national leader on traumatic brain injury (TBI) awareness and care. Last year, the House passed legislation championed by Pallone to rename the federal TBI program in Pascrell’s honor. The Bill Pascrell, Jr. National Program for Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance and Registries supports critical research and care for survivors and their families. Pallone reintroduced the bill in February.

The bill renaming sites at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of Pascrell must now be taken up by the Senate before it can be signed into law.