[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H5562-H5563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM LONG-TERM LEASE INVESTMENT ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4931) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to extend
certain leases within units of the National Park System without opening
the lease to bidding, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4931
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Park System Long-
Term Lease Investment Act''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION TO EXTEND CERTAIN LEASES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting
through the Director of the National Park Service (in this
section referred to as the ``Director''), may extend a lease
entered into under part 18 of title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations (as in effect on January 3, 2025), without
issuing a request for bids or a request for proposals, if the
Director makes a written determination that--
(1) the lessee entered into the lease not less than 5 years
before the date on which the extension takes effect;
(2) the lessee is in compliance with the terms and
conditions of the lease; and
(3) an extension of the lease is consistent with the
purposes of the applicable unit of the National Park System.
(b) Limitation on Extension.--
(1) In general.--The Director may not grant more than one
extension under this section without issuing a request for
bids or a request for proposals under part 18 of title 36,
Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on January 3,
2025).
(2) Extension length.--The Director shall ensure that, for
any lease extended under this section, the cumulative length
of such lease complies with part 18 of title 36, Code of
Federal Regulations (as in effect on January 3, 2025).
(c) Revision of Regulation.--Not later than 90 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the
Interior shall revise part 18 of title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, to reflect the authority granted under
subsection (a).
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
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on H.R. 4931, the bill 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 in support of H.R. 4931, the National Park System
Long-Term Lease Investment Act, introduced by Representative Murphy of
North Carolina.
Across the National Park System, private businesses and organizations
lease buildings and other historic facilities, investing in these
properties while providing important services to park visitors. These
public-private partnerships can help put underutilized properties to
productive use while supporting the long-term stewardship of park
assets.
My hometown of Hot Springs National Park is a model for how these
public-private partnerships can transform local economies, create jobs,
improve access, and enhance the visitor experience. Through historic
leasing on Bathhouse Row, once dilapidated bathhouses have been
transformed into a brewery, a modern spa and bathhouse facility, and a
hotel. Ongoing renovations financed under the Great American Outdoors
Act will open up even more opportunities to lease historic bathhouses
to more small businesses in this community.
Unfortunately, even when these partnerships work well, existing law
can limit the National Park Service's flexibility to extend a
successful lease without starting a new competitive process.
H.R. 4931 provides a targeted solution. To qualify for an extension,
the original lease must be at least 5 years, the lessee must be in good
standing, and the extension must be in the National Park Service's best
interests. If those requirements are met, the bill allows a lease to be
extended once for up to 10 years without issuing a new request for bids
or proposals.
Providing this flexibility will give successful lessees greater
certainty to continue investing in park facilities while reducing
unnecessary administrative burdens on the National Park Service. Just
as importantly, it creates important safeguards by limiting the
authority to lessees who have already demonstrated a successful track
record.
While this is a good bill, there is more that can be done to ensure
the National Park Service fully leverages potential private-sector
partners. The Senate version of this legislation includes a commonsense
provision allowing leases to extend up to 99 years, which will attract
greater investment and create greater economic opportunity nationwide.
Although we were unable to reach an agreement in committee with our
minority to include a similar provision in the House bill, I look
forward to working with my bipartisan and bicameral colleagues on this
concept as the bill continues through the legislative process.
I thank Representative Murphy for his leadership on this legislation.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4931, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4931 would authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to extend certain
[[Page H5563]]
leases within the National Park System unit without opening those
leases to another public bidding process.
Under the bill, the lease could be extended without rebidding if the
lease has been in place for at least 5 years, the tenant is complying
with the terms of the existing lease, and the National Park Service
determines that the extension is consistent with the purposes of the
park unit.
The National Park Service manages approximately 160 leases covering
more than 340 structures. This leasing authority has helped the service
put underutilized historic properties to use through public-private
partnerships while directing lease revenues toward historic
preservation, infrastructure, and maintenance.
{time} 1550
As introduced, this legislation raised serious concerns. Current law
requires a public competitive bidding process and fair market value,
helping ensure that taxpayers receive a fair return on public assets
and that businesses have a fair opportunity to compete.
It also contains no limits on the length of an extension or the
number of times the lease could be renewed, creating the risk of a
continuous cycle of extensions that effectively locks out the
competition.
Those concerns were addressed during the Natural Resources Committee
markup, with technical assistance from the National Park Service. The
amended bill limits the authority to a single extension and makes it
clear the total term of the lease cannot exceed the existing 60-year
regulatory limit. That includes the extension.
These guardrails are important. We should make sure the Park Service
has the flexibility it needs to manage these properties well, while
also protecting competition, transparency, and the interests of the
American taxpayer.
As we have learned from the President's use of no-bid contracts for
the Reflecting Pool and the suspension of leases for Federal golf
courses in D.C., we need to ensure robust statutory guardrails.
The national park leasing authority is a successful program, but it
cannot be a back door that leads to the privatization of our national
parks.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsor of the bill for working in a
bipartisan way to address the concerns that many of us had, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Murphy), the lead sponsor of this bill.
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R.
4931, the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act.
As was noted previously, there is a Senate companion with slight
differences that hopefully can be worked out.
My bill would give the Secretary of the Interior, through the
Director of the National Park Service, the authority to extend the
lease if the lease has been entered into less than 5 years before the
date of extension is to take effect.
The Director of the National Park Service would determine if
extending the lease is in the best interests of the applicable unit of
the National Park Service.
Within my district in Dare County, we have a lot of national parks,
and we work very well with them. We have a model of an excellent
public-private partnership at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, where the
National Park Service works with a local vendor to provide necessary
marine services.
My bill is simple and straightforward. It gives the National Park
Service the authority to give an extension of a lease, if the National
Park Service thinks it is in the best interests of the National Park
Service, for a total duration up to 60 years.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my Democratic colleagues and appreciate the
opportunity to attend to any concerns that they have.
By granting this authority to the National Park Service, it would
encourage other private investors to invest wisely in the hope of being
considered for this opportunity to make a win-win with a public-private
partnership. Current law does not allow this to happen.
Mr. Speaker, I ask your consideration of this bill, and I ask my
colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 4931.
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 once again commend Representative
Murphy for his leadership on this legislation, and I look forward to
working with the Senate and in a bipartisan manner. As this moves
forward, I urge my colleagues to support the bill today, 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. 4931, 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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