[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 13, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1965-H1966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BENEFITS THAT ENDURE FOR LIFETIMES OF SERVICE ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1682) to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act
to provide for lifetime National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands
Passes for family members of members of the Armed Forces who lost their
lives while serving their country.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1682
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 ``Benefits that Endure for
Lifetimes Of Service Act'' or ``BELO'S Act''.
SEC. 2. LIFETIME PASSES.
Section 805(b)(2) of the Federal Lands Recreation
Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6804(b)(2)) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(D) Any individual who is a survivor entitled to--
``(i) a death gratuity under section 1475 of title 10,
United States Code; or
``(ii) dependency and indemnity compensation under chapter
13 of title 38, United States Code.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 1682, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
{time} 1600
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1682, the Benefits that
Endure for Lifetimes Of Service Act, or BELO'S Act.
This bill, led by Representatives Evans and Panetta, expands access
to free lifetime passes to our national parks and public lands to Gold
Star next of kin and families of veterans who pass away due to a
service-related illness or injury.
Across our great Nation, military families play a vital role in
safeguarding our freedoms. They provide unwavering support to the
courageous
[[Page H1966]]
military servicemembers who risk their lives defending America. When
these troops make the ultimate sacrifice for our country, the emotional
impact on their families is devastating.
While nothing can replace a lost loved one, outdoor recreation has a
proven track record of providing at least some measure of relief in
times of profound tragedy.
In 2021, Congress permanently codified free lifetime passes to our
national parks and public lands for Gold Star families in the Alexander
Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act, a bill I proudly cosponsored and helped
champion through the Natural Resources Committee.
Unfortunately, the eligibility for these passes did not include
families whose relatives were killed in incidents such as hazardous
training accidents or due to a service-related illness.
H.R. 1682, however, would expand access to free lifetime America the
Beautiful passes to Gold Star and next of kin family members and family
members of fallen veterans. This legislation is a meaningful way to
support families whose loved ones were lost in selfless service to our
Nation.
I commend Representative Evans for spearheading this noble effort. As
a former captain in the Army National Guard, Representative Evans
understands the sacrifices of our servicemembers and their families. In
fact, the namesake of this legislation honors a former soldier of
Representative Evans, Marc Belo, who dedicated over half of his life to
serving our country in the Marine Corps, the District of Columbia Army
National Guard, and the Colorado Army National Guard. Marc was one of
the first responders to the Pentagon on 9/11.
Just months after his swearing in, Representative Evans is already
delivering for the people of his district and military families across
the country.
Mr. Speaker, I reiterate my strong support for his bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1682, a crucial measure that
would guarantee free access to our national treasures for all Gold Star
families.
To honor the sacrifice and service of their loved ones, Congress has
provided Gold Star families with a free America the Beautiful pass that
covers entrance fees and standard day-use fees for national parks and
other Federal recreation sites.
However, eligibility for this program is limited and leaves some
families out because of a technicality. This bill would fix that
oversight by broadening access to include families of servicemembers
who died during inactive or Active-Duty training, as well as travel to
and from training or duty stations.
These families have already made the ultimate sacrifice for our
country, and they deserve for us to fix this technicality. I thank
Representative Evans for bringing this forward and everyone who worked
on this in a bipartisan way to make this happen.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Evans), the lead sponsor of the bill.
Mr. EVANS of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of
this bill, H.R. 1682, the Benefits that Endure for Lifetimes Of Service
Act, or BELO'S Act, named after Marc Belo, a fellow veteran, aviation
legend, and friend with whom I had the great honor of serving.
This bill would honor our Nation's fallen heroes and their loved ones
by expanding free access to national parks to the families of veterans
who pass away from a service-related illness or accident.
As a former Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot, I had the blessing of
serving with countless men and women across the Active-Duty, Reserve,
and National Guard components of our Armed Forces. During that time, I
took on many roles, from supporting wildfire fighting efforts to
deploying as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Mr. Speaker, any
soldier or veteran will tell you that service to the Nation takes many
forms, but that also means sacrifice does, too.
When I learned that, under existing law, only the families of
soldiers who died in Active-Duty combat operations were eligible for
free lifetime national parks passes, I immediately thought of my friend
and fellow veteran, First Sergeant Marc Belo.
I served alongside Sergeant Belo for a decade in the Colorado Army
National Guard. Belo was already a senior sergeant and crew chief when
I was a young lieutenant. He took me under his wing from day one.
Whether it was a domestic operation, including fighting fires and
conducting search and rescues, or whether it was deployment overseas to
the Middle East as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Marc and I were
in it together.
He was the heart and soul of our company, Alpha Company ``Wolfpack,''
and the 2-135th General Support Aviation Battalion ``Blackjacks.'' An
amateur photographer and a true patriot who was a 9/11 first responder
and who gave his life to his Nation for more than 30 years, the passage
of this bill could not come at a more timely, if tragic, moment.
Unfortunately, 1 year ago this week, Marc passed away from cancer
related to his military service. His family, friends, and all who
served with him were devastated.
Mr. Speaker, a friend you served with being taken far too soon by a
service-related illness or injury is a story that, unfortunately,
sounds all too familiar to veterans all across our country. The
circumstances of their deaths can never minimize the magnitude of their
sacrifice.
That is why I am so proud to sponsor the bipartisan BELO'S Act, along
with the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta). This ensures that the
families of servicemembers who die in circumstances not related to
combat, like training accidents or service-connected illness, are still
honored with free lifetime passes to enjoy America's beautiful national
parks.
While this will benefit military families from coast to coast, it
will especially make a difference for the military families in my
district, who are blessed to live so close to some of the most
beautiful public lands and national parks in the country. It is truly
the least that we can do to thank these veterans' families for serving
right alongside their loved ones.
Veterans and military families often find solace, peace, and healing
in the great outdoors. Whether it is coping with PTSD, undergoing
physical training, or coming to terms with the loss of a loved one,
national parks play a vital role in their health and well-being.
It is my sincere hope that this bill can play a small role in helping
military families, like the Belos, find peace in their loss and honor
their loved ones who are taken from them too soon.
This week marks 1 year since Marc left us, but his legacy lives on
and is now helping other veterans to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring American
heroes like Marc Belo and their families by passing this important
bill.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again thank Representatives Evans
and Panetta for their efforts to introduce this meaningful legislation.
This bill would reduce the financial burden on our military families
who want to visit our national parks and expand their access to the
healing powers of outdoor recreation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this legislation, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1682.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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