Encouraging Public Service in Our National Parks and Public Land Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9282
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-11: 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.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-26T22:17:05Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to establish mandatory fee-free days for entry to Federal recreational lands and waters. Its stated goal is to support public lands through community service activities and align these days with dates that promote national pride and volunteerism.
Key Provisions
- Mandatory fee-free days: The Secretary must provide free admission or use on six specific days each year:
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday (third Monday in January)
- First day of National Park Week (April)
- Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19)
- Great American Outdoors Day (August 4)
- National Public Lands Day (fourth Saturday in September)
- Veterans Day (November 11)
- Additional authority retained: The Secretary may still designate other fee-free days beyond the required list.
- The bill applies to units of the National Park System and other Federal recreational lands and waters.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The amendment changes existing language from permissive ("The Secretary may provide for") to mandatory ("The Secretary shall provide for") for the listed days, while preserving the Secretary’s discretion for additional dates.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Federal land management agencies may experience reduced fee revenue on the designated days, which could affect maintenance and operations funding.
- Citizens: Increases public access to recreational lands without cost on specified dates, potentially encouraging more visits and volunteer participation.
- No direct effects on international relations are outlined.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal agencies responsible for managing recreational lands (such as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service).
- Visitors and users of Federal recreational lands and waters.
- Groups and individuals associated with the named holidays and service activities, including veterans and community organizations.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill creates a statutory requirement for fee waivers on specific federal holidays and commemorative days, shifting from discretionary to obligatory agency action. It ties public land access to national observances without altering fee structures on other days.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]
Cosponsors (25)
Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3], Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2], Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. Friedman, Laura [D-CA-30], Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Randall, Emily [D-WA-6], Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5], Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1], Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2], Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14], Rep. Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16], Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10], Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-11: 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.
- 2026-06-11: 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.
- 2026-06-11: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-11: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Encouraging Public Service in Our National Parks and Public Land Act — issued 2026-06-11 — PDF (3 pages)