[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2976 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 2976


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 14, 2001

   Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
    To provide for the issuance of a special entrance pass for free 
admission to any federally owned area which is operated and maintained 
  by a Federal agency and used for outdoor recreation purposes to the 
   survivors, victims' immediate families, and police, fire, rescue, 
recovery, and medical personnel directly affected by the September 11, 
 2001, terrorist hijackings and the attacks on the World Trade Center 
               and the Pentagon, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Healing Opportunities in Parks and 
the Environment Pass Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The trauma associated with the terrorist hijackings and 
        attacks of September 11, 2001, has been significant for the 
        survivors, victims' immediate families, and police, fire, 
        rescue, recovery, and medical personnel directly involved in 
        this national tragedy.
            (2) America's system of national parks, forests, and public 
        lands provides significant opportunities to renew, refresh, and 
        strengthen the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of 
        those who use them.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to help those directly 
impacted by the tragic events of September 11, 2001, by enhancing 
opportunities for the use of America's national parks, forests, and 
public lands as a means of aiding in their recovery from the trauma 
associated with these tragic events.

SEC. 3. HOPE PASS.

    (a) Issuance.--The Secretary of the Interior shall make available 
at no cost to qualified individuals a special entrance pass which shall 
be known as the ``Hope Pass'' and shall provide for free admission into 
any federally owned area which is operated and maintained by a Federal 
agency and used for outdoor recreation purposes.
    (b) Qualified Individuals.--A qualified individual shall be--
            (1) an individual who was present at the World Trade 
        Center, the Pentagon, or the site of the aircraft crash at 
        Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at the time, or in the immediate 
        aftermath of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of 
        September 11, 2001;
            (2) an individual who had an immediate family member killed 
        as a direct result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of 
        September 11, 2001; or
            (3) any police, fire, rescue, recovery, or medical 
        personnel who directly responded to the terrorist-related 
        aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001.
    (c) Conditions.--Each Hope Pass shall--
            (1) be issued upon acceptance by the Secretary of the 
        Interior of an application from a qualified applicant which 
        shall include a signed statement attesting to the applicant's 
        eligibility for the pass;
            (2) be valid for the life of the qualified pass holder; and
            (3) provide free admission to qualified pass holders and 
        their immediate family when accompanied by the qualified pass 
        holder.
    (d) Noneligibility.--No individual identified by the Attorney 
General of the United States to have been a participant or conspirator 
in the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, or 
their family shall be eligible to receive a Hope Pass.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 13, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.