[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3246-S3247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6041. Mr. PADILLA submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:
SEC. 1094. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES STUDY OF FEDERAL
RESERVATION SYSTEMS FOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
ON FEDERAL LAND.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Booking window.--The term ``booking window'', with
respect to a Federal reservation system, means the time
period during which a reservation or lottery entry is
available to the public.
(2) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means--
(A) public lands (as defined in section 103 of the Federal
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702));
(B) National Forest System land;
(C) units of the National Park System;
(D) units of the National Wildlife Refuge System;
(E) sites administered by the Bureau of Reclamation; and
(F) sites administered by the Corps of Engineers.
(3) Federal reservation system.--
(A) In general.--The term ``Federal reservation system''
means any platform or method used by managers of Federal land
to manage the quantity, type, distribution, and timing of
recreational activities.
(B) Inclusions.--The term ``Federal reservation system''
includes reservation, permit, lottery, metering, pricing,
merit-based, and other similar management methods via online,
telephone, paper, in-person, or other methods.
(4) Recreational activity.--The term ``recreational
activity'' includes camping, backpacking, climbing, paddling
sports, fishing, hiking, driving, and other recreational
opportunities.
(5) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means--
(A) the Secretary of the Interior;
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture; and
(C) the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of
Engineers.
(b) Study.--
(1) In general.--The Secretaries, acting jointly, shall,
not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, enter into an agreement with the National Academy of
Sciences to carry out a study of Federal reservation systems
for recreational activities on Federal land.
(2) Requirements.--In carrying out the study under
paragraph (1), the National Academy of Sciences shall consult
with the Secretaries to carry out the following:
(A) A review of the history of Federal reservation systems,
such as recreation.gov, including a review of--
(i) the considerations, including data, that led to the
establishment of the applicable Federal reservation system;
(ii) the iterations of the applicable Federal reservation
system over time to meet the needs of the applicable Federal
agency;
(iii) any visitor feedback provided with respect to the
applicable Federal reservation system; and
(iv) scientific literature or studies examining the
efficacy of Federal reservation systems, including user
preferences with respect to Federal reservation system design
and implementation.
(B) Based on available data and existing research, answer
the following questions:
(i) What are the benefits and challenges of implementing
Federal reservation systems to achieve management goals for
Federal land, including resource protection, enjoyable
visitor experiences, and sustainable operations and facility
use?
(ii) What data are available, and what additional data are
needed, to understand demand for recreation on Federal land?
How can the data be used to balance visitor management and
conservation goals?
(iii) What information is available regarding Federal land
users and Federal reservation system users? What information
is available or needs to be collected regarding demographics
and characteristics of successful and unsuccessful applicants
using the Federal reservation systems?
(iv) Do Federal reservation systems pose a barrier for
certain communities, including international communities, and
user groups to access appropriate recreation opportunities on
Federal land? If so, what is the nature of any barriers
identified?
(v) What best practices should be considered in Federal
reservation system design, including visitation management
system options and booking windows, options to respond to the
needs specific to individual Federal land management units,
and equitable access to recreational activities? What metrics
can be used to record outcomes of Federal reservation system
design?
(vi) How have fees been collected for Federal reservation
systems over time to meet the needs of the applicable Federal
agency? How are the revenues from fees for Federal
reservation systems split between, and spent by, Federal land
units, Federal agencies, and third-party contractors? How is
the fee structure disseminated to users? How could
dissemination of information with respect to the fee
structure be improved?
(vii) What are the odds of success with respect to securing
a reservation under Federal reservation systems? How are the
odds of success disseminated to users? How could
dissemination of information with respect to the odds of
success be improved?
(viii) How are data, including data collected by
contractors, on Federal reservation systems shared with
Federal land managers, researchers, and the public? How can
transparency be improved to inform the decision making of
users of Federal reservation systems?
(ix) How are Federal reservation systems incorporating and
adapting to emerging technologies, such as geofencing, bots,
or third-party websites monitoring and reselling
reservations? Are Federal reservation systems resilient to
cyber threats?
[[Page S3247]]
(x) How can Federal reservation systems be improved to
reduce ``no shows'' and ensure that recreation sites are
being used during periods of high demand? Would an increase
in first-come, first-served opportunities increase equitable
access to outdoor recreation on Federal land?
(c) Report.--The agreement entered into under subsection
(b)(1) shall include a requirement that, not later than 18
months after the date on which the agreement is entered into,
the National Academy of Sciences shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report that describes
the results of the study carried out under that subsection.
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