Great American Outdoors Act 250

Bill Number: H.R. 9250
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 2
Policy Area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2026-06-24: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Last Updated: 2026-07-10T08:06:30Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose The legislation aims to modernize and maintain infrastructure across the National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and Bureau of Indian Education. It ties these efforts to the celebration of America's 250th anniversary by establishing dedicated funding for deferred maintenance projects.

Key Provisions

America's Legacy Restoration Fund: Redesignates the existing National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund and deposits into it 100% of revenue from new foreign visitor fees, 100% of related donations, and 50% of energy development revenues from federal lands (capped at $1.9 billion annually from 2026–2030, with excess going to the Treasury).
Allocations: Distributes funds as follows—70% to the National Park Service, 15% to the Forest Service, and 5% each to the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education. Requires minimum percentages for non-transportation projects and allows remaining amounts for transportation infrastructure.
Project Selection and Use: Prioritizes projects addressing mission-critical assets, public safety threats, or cost-saving prevention of further deterioration. Includes requirements for accessibility improvements and at least two projects annually under the EXPLORE Act.
Foreign Visitor Fees: Amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to set a minimum $100 entrance or amenity fee (plus any existing fees) and $250 annual pass for visitor nonimmigrants (B visa or Visa Waiver Program holders). Deposits these receipts into the Fund.
Pilot Program: Allocates up to 15% of certain agency funds for outdoor recreation and sportsmen's access projects, with requirements for regional distribution and partnerships.
Transparency and Oversight: Mandates a public geospatial dashboard tracking project status, costs, timelines, and environmental reviews; annual reports on maintenance backlogs; and GAO studies.
Implementation Tools: Creates a categorical exclusion under NEPA for projects, sets timelines for contracting, raises micro-purchase thresholds, caps architect-engineer fees at 8%, and allows emergency acquisition flexibilities.
Partnerships and Donations: Authorizes public-private partnerships, cooperative agreements, good neighbor authority, and solicitation of cash or in-kind donations, with matching requirements for some projects.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Replaces and expands the prior Legacy Restoration Fund structure with new revenue sources and agency inclusions (notably adding the Bureau of Indian Education).
Introduces mandatory higher fees specifically for foreign visitors, which did not exist in prior recreation fee law.
Adds detailed statutory criteria for project prioritization, contingency fund use, and disposal of assets no longer serving public interest.
Establishes new pilot authorities for recreation and access projects, along with streamlined NEPA processes and acquisition flexibilities not previously codified for this purpose.

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies: Provides multi-year funding without annual appropriations for priority maintenance, potentially reducing backlogs at covered agencies while requiring new reporting, planning, and partnership efforts.
Citizens: Aims to improve access, safety, and visitor experiences at federal lands through better-maintained infrastructure.
International Relations: Applies significantly higher fees to foreign visitors, which may affect tourism patterns or require coordination with immigration processes.
States and Local Entities: Involves governors in project recommendations and encourages cross-boundary partnerships with non-federal lands.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Covered federal agencies (National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Education).
Congress (through required submissions and oversight).
Domestic and foreign visitors to federal recreational lands.
State governments and governors.
Nonprofit organizations, foundations, and private partners involved in donations or cooperative agreements.
Energy developers on federal lands (due to revenue sharing).
GAO and relevant congressional committees for monitoring.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

The bill uses existing fund mechanisms but adds new fee authorities and categorical exclusions, which could raise questions about delegation of NEPA responsibilities or consistency with appropriation rules.
It includes explicit limitations on fund use (e.g., no land acquisition or employee bonuses) and notification requirements for contingency reallocations exceeding 10%.
Ties funding to a fixed anniversary period (through 2030) and incorporates references to other recent laws such as the EXPLORE Act, potentially affecting implementation across multiple statutes.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Westerman, Bruce [R-AR-4]

Cosponsors (199)

Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2], Rep. Ezell, Mike [R-MS-4], Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2], Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38], Rep. Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4], Rep. Fedorchak, Julie [R-ND-At Large], Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3], Del. Radewagen, Aumua Amata Coleman [R-AS-At Large], Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26], Rep. Zinke, Ryan K. [R-MT-1], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1], Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19], Rep. Carey, Mike [R-OH-15], Rep. Gray, Adam [D-CA-13], Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47], Rep. Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [R-IA-1], Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7], Rep. Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3], Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2], Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2], Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Mrvan, Frank J. [D-IN-1], Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11], Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1], Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-VA-5], Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1], Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22], Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50], Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1], Rep. Randall, Emily [D-WA-6], Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6], Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2], Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9], Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4], Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44], Rep. Gimenez, Carlos A. [R-FL-28], Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24], Rep. Ellzey, Jake [R-TX-6], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2], Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8], Rep. Moore, Blake D. [R-UT-1], Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3], Rep. Taylor, David J. [R-OH-2], Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52], Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8] and 149 more

Recent Actions

2026-06-24: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
2026-06-24: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
2026-06-12: Committee Hearings Held
2026-06-10: 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.
2026-06-10: 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.
2026-06-10: Introduced in House
2026-06-10: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

Great American Outdoors Act 250 — issued 2026-06-10 — PDF (36 pages)