HR6603-119

What This Bill Does

The Our Parks Act amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to require fee-free entrance on federal holidays at National Park System and National Wildlife Refuge System units that otherwise charge entrance fees. The waiver applies to federal holidays listed in 5 U.S.C. 6103, such as New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. The bill does not waive camping, reservation, concession, or other non-entrance charges; it targets the entrance fee for affected parks and refuges.

Who Benefits and How

Visitors, families, students, veterans, and lower-income households benefit because holiday entrance fees would no longer be a barrier to visiting fee-charging national parks and wildlife refuges. Gateway communities and tourism businesses may benefit if more people visit public lands on holidays. Public-land advocates benefit from broader access to federal recreation sites.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bear implementation burdens to update fee systems, signs, websites, staff guidance, and holiday operations. Federal land units that rely on entrance-fee revenue may lose revenue on holidays and may need to manage larger holiday crowds without collecting entrance fees. Federal taxpayers could indirectly bear costs if lost fee revenue is replaced through appropriations or deferred maintenance tradeoffs.

Key Provisions

• Requires National Park System units that charge entrance fees to waive entrance fees on federal holidays.
• Requires National Wildlife Refuge System units that charge entrance fees to waive entrance fees on federal holidays.
• Uses the federal holiday list in 5 U.S.C. 6103 to define when the waiver applies.
• Leaves non-entrance charges such as camping, reservations, or concessions outside the stated fee waiver.