PORTLAND — The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution written by Maine’s two senators designating a National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day.

Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King say Aug. 7 is the date on which President George Washington signed the Lighthouse Act of 1789, which established the federal government’s role in supporting lighthouses, beacons, buoys and public piers.

In a statement, the senators say lighthouses for centuries have stood as symbols of safety and security along Maine’s rocky coast. Maine has more than 60 lighthouses.