HR4937-119

What This Bill Does

The EQUAL Parks Act gives the force and effect of law to the January 12, 2017 Presidential Memorandum on promoting diversity and inclusion in national parks, national forests, and other public lands and waters. The bill does not create a new grant amount or rewrite a land-management statute section by section. Its effect is to turn the memorandum's executive-branch diversity and inclusion direction into a statutory requirement, making it harder for a later administration to ignore or rescind the memorandum without congressional action.

Who Benefits and How

Underserved outdoor communities benefit because federal land agencies must treat diversity and inclusion goals in public lands and waters as legally binding. Park access advocates benefit from a statutory hook for pressing agencies to improve access, outreach, and inclusion. National park visitors benefit if land managers maintain programming that broadens participation in public lands. Public lands education organizations benefit from stronger continuity for inclusion-focused outreach.

Who Bears the Burden and How

National Park Service staff must administer park policy consistently with the codified memorandum. Forest Service land managers must account for diversity and inclusion direction on national forest lands. Interior public lands staff must treat the memorandum as legally effective rather than discretionary guidance. Future administrations bear a legal constraint if they seek to reverse the memorandum without Congress.

Key Provisions

• Codifies the January 12, 2017 Presidential Memorandum on diversity and inclusion in public lands.
• Provides the memorandum the force and effect of law.
• Strengthens continuity for public lands outreach, access, and inclusion policy.
• Restricts later executive-branch reversal without congressional action.