Prohibit Partisan Park Passes Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7251
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-20: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-02T08:07:25Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The "Prohibit Partisan Park Passes Act" (H.R. 7251) aims to prevent the use of images of living political figures on the America the Beautiful—National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, ensuring that this public access tool remains non-partisan.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 805(a)(2) of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6804(a)(2)).
- Updates the section heading by removing the word "competition."
- Adds a new restriction: The image on the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass cannot include any living current or former elected official or other living political figure.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- The original law allows for the design of the pass, including through public competitions, but does not explicitly restrict imagery related to political figures.
- This bill introduces a clear prohibition on using images of living political figures, shifting the focus toward neutral, non-partisan designs for the pass.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Agencies like the National Park Service (NPS) and the Department of the Interior (DOI), which manage federal recreational lands and issue the pass, will need to update design guidelines and review processes to comply, potentially simplifying artwork selection.
- Citizens: Users of national parks and federal lands (over 80 million annual pass sales) will receive passes free from political imagery, promoting a unified, apolitical experience in public spaces.
- International relations: No direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic federal lands management.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal agencies: NPS, DOI, and related entities overseeing pass production and distribution.
- Citizens and visitors: Individuals purchasing or using the annual pass for access to parks and recreational areas.
- Political figures: Current and former elected officials or other political personalities, whose images are barred from use.
- Designers and artists: Those involved in creating pass artwork, who must adhere to the new non-partisan rule.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens the apolitical administration of public resources under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, with no apparent conflict to existing statutes; enforcement would likely fall to administrative rules rather than new penalties.
- Constitutional: Aligns with government neutrality in public programs, avoiding potential First Amendment concerns by restricting only official government-issued imagery (not private expression).
- Political: Reduces risks of partisan controversy in national parks, a shared public asset, by prohibiting endorsements or favoritism through imagery; could set a precedent for non-partisan design in other federal programs.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (24)
Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5], Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50], Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13], Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3], Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2], Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7], Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1], Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1], Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-20: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
- 2026-01-27: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-01-27: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-01-27: Introduced in House
- 2026-01-27: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Prohibit Partisan Park Passes Act — issued 2026-01-27 — PDF (2 pages)