[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 9, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H5074-H5075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL TOURISM AND ACCESS TO RECREATION SITES ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4285) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to designate
an entrance-fee free date in 2026 at National Park Service sites in
order to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of
America, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4285
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 ``Semiquincentennial Tourism
and Access to Recreation Sites Act'' or the ``STARS Act''.
SEC. 2. WAIVED FEES AT PUBLIC RECREATIONAL SITES IN HONOR OF
AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY.
(a) In General.--In honor of the semiquincentennial of the
United States of America--
(1) the Secretary of the Interior shall--
(A) designate September 17, 2026, as an entrance-fee free
date on which admission is free to all visitors with respect
to each National Park Service site that charges an entrance
fee; and
(B) waive standard amenity recreation fees on September 17,
2026, for each visitor to each site managed by the Bureau of
Land Management, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or
Bureau of Reclamation that charges a standard amenity
recreation fee; and
(2) the Secretary of Agriculture shall waive standard
amenity recreation fees for September 17, 2026, for each
visitor to each site managed by the Forest Service that
charges a standard amenity recreation fee.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Entrance fee.--The term ``entrance fee'' has the
meaning given the term in section 802 of the Federal Lands
Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801).
(2) Standard amenity recreation fee.--The term ``standard
amenity recreation fee'' has the meaning given the term in
section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act
(16 U.S.C. 6801).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms.
Randall) 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 in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 4285, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4285, the
Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act, or STARS
Act, led by my colleague, the gentlewoman from Utah (Ms. Maloy).
This bill designates September 17, 2026, as a fee-free day across our
national parks and other Federal recreation lands in honor of the 250th
anniversary of our Nation's independence.
September 17 was also the date on which the U.S. Constitution was
signed 11 years later, bringing together two foundational milestones in
American history.
By waiving entrance and recreation fees at more than 400 National
Park Service units and thousands of Federal recreation sites, the STARS
Act ensures that families across the country can celebrate America 250
by connecting with our natural landscapes and historic places. From our
forests and lakeshores to our battlefields and monuments, these sites
tell the story of our liberty, resilience, and shared civic values.
This is a simple, bipartisan bill that expands access to our public
lands, encourages public participation in the semiquincentennial, and
reaffirms the ideals that continue to guide our Nation.
I commend Representative Maloy, as well as my fellow Arkansan,
Senator John Boozman, for leading this bipartisan legislation in the
House and the Senate, respectively. I also recognize the work of
Representative Pete Stauber, who offered a thoughtful amendment during
our Natural Resources Committee markup to expand this bill to national
forests, refuges, and all public lands.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4285,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, next year our Nation will celebrate its 250th birthday.
H.R. 4285, the STARS Act, would mark that milestone on September 17,
2026, by providing free entrance to National Park Service sites and
waiving standard amenity recreation fees to sites managed by the Bureau
of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of
Reclamation, and the U.S. Forest Service.
I fully support helping more Americans experience our public lands
and will be honored to support this bill. However, it is hard to ignore
how hollow this gesture feels when it comes alongside the ongoing
Republican effort to undermine access to these very places.
While we may be hearing how treasured our public lands are from my
colleagues today, some of their actions paint a different picture.
Republicans are slashing the already underfunded land management
agencies' budgets. Republicans are firing hardworking Americans who
keep our public lands open and safe. Republicans are trying to sell off
our public lands for a quick buck.
Republicans are working to undo protections for national monuments,
trying to block updates to outdated resource management plans, and
pushing reckless development for extractive industries no matter the
public health or environmental consequences.
Republicans are attacking bedrock environmental and historic
preservation laws, attempting to erase and rewrite history in our
public lands, and working to turn our public lands into prisons and
detention centers.
Americans deserve better. They deserve public lands that are open,
well cared for, and honest about our history, not just a few symbolic
gestures and a free entrance day every now and then.
It is our responsibility to care for our public lands, to support the
people who care for them, and to ensure they reflect the full and
robust history of everyone who shaped this country. That is how we can
honor the past and ensure our public lands remain places that future
generations of Americans can learn from and enjoy.
Democrats will continue to stand up for our Federal workforce and to
fight to protect Americans' public lands.
[[Page H5075]]
Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill and reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, as we get ready to celebrate our 250th anniversary--and,
actually, we are already in it with some of the Revolutionary War
battles being fought already over 250 years ago--we look forward to
Americans being able to have a very affordable day when they can go to
our parks and Federal lands for free.
It is already an exciting time in America. I commend the gentlewoman
who brought this bill to us and the effort that she has put forth to
make sure that Americans can have an affordable day on our Federal
lands.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Utah (Ms.
Maloy), the lead sponsor of the bill.
Ms. MALOY. Mr. Speaker, Americans are preparing to celebrate the
250th birthday of the United States in 2026.
How do you properly celebrate 250 years of freedom? One very uniquely
American way is to spend time in what Wallace Stegner called ``the best
idea we ever had,'' our national parks.
National parks provide our connection to history, nature, and shared
heritage, including our bright future as a nation. The
Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act, which
doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, so we call it the STARS Act,
designates Constitution Day, September 17, 2026, as a fee-free day at
National Park Service sites and extends fee waivers to Federal lands
managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife
Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the United States Forest
Service.
This allows Americans to experience our national history, natural
treasures, and natural resources that preserve and protect the legacy
that began in 1776.
This legislation is complementary to the Department of the Interior's
effort to launch the digital America the Beautiful passes, expand
motorcycle access, create a resident-focused fee structure, and
otherwise improve the experience for Americans.
The STARS Act highlights Constitution Day to encourage reflection on
America's founding principles. Get out and enjoy this Nation's natural
resources, learn something new, or just celebrate with loved ones in
one of our parks.
Free access encourages families and communities to visit, learn, and
participate in the national celebration together. Americans just might
come together during this major national commemoration by getting
outside in a forest, historic park, bird refuge, or go on an iconic
hike.
The STARS Act is about connecting Americans with history, nature, and
the founding principles of our Republic. We can celebrate America's
birthday in a very American way that invites all people, regardless of
politics, religion, age, or income bracket to be united in taking part
in the freedoms we enjoy as a result of our Constitution.
Maybe, just maybe, by joining together to mark this milestone, we can
awaken a fresh reverence and respect for our founding documents, our
collective national blessings, and the ideas that changed the world
two-and-a-half centuries ago.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
{time} 1510
Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Speaker, I am enthusiastically in support of this
policy, but I think I have to underscore, again, that our public lands
belong to all Americans, as the previous sponsor mentioned, regardless
of race, gender, socioeconomic status, or background.
The stories preserved at sites like Bainbridge Island Japanese
American Exclusion Memorial in my district serve as powerful reminders
of what happens when we allow fear and prejudice to override our values
of inclusion and justice. In this moment in our history as we celebrate
the semiquincentennial of our Nation, we are also watching history
attempt to repeat itself with the rounding up of Americans and the
rounding up of folks living in this country who are being persecuted in
our streets and on our public lands.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation and urge all my
colleagues to support it, as well. I also urge us to learn from our
history and to move forward more equitably.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I, once again, thank Representative Maloy
and Chairman Boozman for their leadership on the STARS Act in their
respective Chambers of Congress.
This is a good bill that gives every American the opportunity to
celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation's independence in the
very places that conserve our history and our heritage.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, 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. 4285, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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