[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 974 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 974

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regulations to 
 allow the use of hand-propelled vessels on certain rivers and streams 
that flow in and through certain Federal lands in Yellowstone National 
Park, Grand Teton National Park, the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial 
                    Parkway, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2015

 Mrs. Lummis introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regulations to 
 allow the use of hand-propelled vessels on certain rivers and streams 
that flow in and through certain Federal lands in Yellowstone National 
Park, Grand Teton National Park, the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial 
                    Parkway, 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 ``Yellowstone and Grand Teton Paddling 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PROMULGATION OF REGULATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which 
funds are first made available for this section, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall promulgate regulations to allow the use of hand-
propelled vessels on certain rivers and streams within--
            (1) Yellowstone National Park in the States of Idaho, 
        Montana, Wyoming; and
            (2) Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, 
        Jr. Memorial Parkway in the State of Wyoming.
    (b) Water Excluded.--The regulations promulgated under this section 
shall not apply to waters that are--
            (1) open to use by hand-propelled vessels on the day before 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, and
            (2) within the Teton Range in Grand Teton National Park 
        south of a latitudinal line anchored at Wilcox Point and west 
        of an approximate north-south line that generally defines the 
        base of the mountains following the western shores of Jackson, 
        Leigh, Jenny, Bradley, Taggart, and Phelps lakes, and extending 
        to the southern Grand Teton National Park boundary at the base 
        of Apres Vous Peak.
    (c) Applicable Laws.--The regulations required by subsection (a) 
shall be promulgated in accordance with--
            (1) laws, regulations, and policies generally applicable to 
        units of the National Park System; and
            (2) sections 551 through 559 of title 5, United States Code 
        (commonly known as the ``Administrative Procedure Act'').
    (d) Commercial Use.--
            (1) No expansion of use.--The regulations issued under this 
        section shall not consider any expansion of commercial use of 
        hand-propelled vessels in the parks.
            (2) Savings provisions.--Nothing in this Act shall be 
        construed as authorizing the commercial use of hand-propelled 
        vessels.
    (e) Coordination of Recreational Use.--When promulgating 
regulations under this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
consult with the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service and the Director of the National Park Service to help ensure 
that the regulations provide that recreational use of hand-propelled 
vessels on the Gros Ventre River within the National Elk Refuge 
adjacent to Grand Teton National Park is consistent with the 
requirements of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act 
of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).
    (f) Previous Regulations.--Upon issuance of the final regulations 
required by subsection (a), the following regulations shall have no 
force or effect:
            (1) Section 7.13(d)(4)(ii) of title 36, Code of Federal 
        Regulations (regarding vessels on streams and rivers in 
        Yellowstone National Park).
            (2) Section 7.22(e)(3) of title 36, Code of Federal 
        Regulations (regarding vessels on lakes and rivers in Grand 
        Teton National Park).
    (g) Cost Recovery.--The Secretary is authorized to recover all 
costs, in accordance with section 103104 of title 54, United States 
Code, associated with monitoring the use of hand-propelled vessels, 
including the cost of inspecting and decontaminating vessels to prevent 
the introduction or spread of invasive or injurious species in 
Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the John D. 
Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.
                                 <all>