Gateway Arch National Park Boundary Revision Act of 2026
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Gateway Arch National Park Boundary Revision Act changes the statutory size and map for the park. The authorized area increases from 100 acres to 102.18 acres, a net expansion of 2.18 acres.
The bill replaces the reference to the prior January 1992 map with the map titled "Gateway Arch National Park Proposed Boundary Revision," numbered 366/189,627 and dated August 2023. That map, rather than a general textual description, controls which land is placed inside the revised authorized boundary.
Putting land inside a park boundary does not by itself transfer title, appropriate acquisition funds, condemn private property, resolve every survey dispute, or dictate a particular use. Acquisition or management must rely on existing or later legal authority, available appropriations, ownership arrangements, and National Park Service planning. The bill also does not change the park's name or remove existing acreage.
Who Benefits and How
The National Park Service gains a current mapped boundary and room to manage the identified added land as part of a unified park. Visitors, preservation groups, neighboring public-space users, and tourism businesses may benefit from improved access, operations, interpretation, or landscape protection if the revision supports those uses.
Who Bears the Burden and How
NPS staff must update surveys, signs, maps, planning documents, maintenance, security, and asset records. Owners or occupants of land within the added boundary may face acquisition negotiations or new federal-land-use implications, depending on ownership. Local governments may lose taxable land if property is federally acquired, and federal accounts may bear acquisition or long-term maintenance costs.
Key Provisions
- Expands the authorized park area to 102.18 acres.
- Adds 2.18 acres to the statutory ceiling.
- Replaces the January 1992 boundary map.
- Adopts the numbered August 2023 proposed-revision map.
- Requires NPS records and planning to use the revised boundary.
- Provides no automatic transfer of property title.
- Provides no express acquisition appropriation.
- Preserves later acquisition, planning, and management requirements.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Expands the authorized Gateway Arch National Park area from 100 acres to 102.18 acres and replaces the park's January 1992 statutory map reference with a specified August 2023 proposed-boundary-revision map.
Key Policy Areas
National Parks, Gateway Arch, Federal Land Boundaries, Historic Preservation, Park Management
Primary Purpose
Expands the authorized Gateway Arch National Park area from 100 acres to 102.18 acres and replaces the park's January 1992 statutory map reference with a specified August 2023 proposed-boundary-revision map.
Policy Domains
Section 2 acreage increase and August 2023 map adoption
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Gateway Arch National Park managers
- Park visitors using revised public space
- Historic-preservation organizations
- Tourism businesses near Gateway Arch
- Public-space users near the added acreage
- NPS planners using an updated map
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- NPS boundary-survey staff
- NPS maintenance accounts
- Landowners within the added boundary
- Local governments affected by federal acquisition
- Federal land-acquisition accounts
- Park security staff covering added land
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
Ms. Budzinski (for herself, Mr. Bost, Mr. Bell, and Mrs. …
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "manager"
- → National Park Service official managing Gateway Arch
- "visitor"
- → Visitor using Gateway Arch National Park
- "business"
- → Tourism business serving park visitors
- "locality"
- → Local government near Gateway Arch
- "landowner"
- → Owner of land within the revised boundary
Note: {'scope_ids': ['gateway_arch_boundary_revision'], 'description': 'The revised boundary authorizes inclusion but does not itself acquire property, supply money, settle title, or dictate use; practical effects depend on the controlling map and later ownership and management actions.'}
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The new statutory acreage for Gateway Arch National Park, 2.18 acres above the prior figure.
Inclusion within the statutory park boundary without automatic federal acquisition or transfer of title.
Map 366/189,627 titled Gateway Arch National Park Proposed Boundary Revision.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology