PATRIOT Parks Act
Summary
Proponents argue this would help address the National Park Service's maintenance needs. Supporters contend that international visitors should contribute to park upkeep since they do not pay U.S. taxes that fund park operations. The bill has received a hearing before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks but has not yet advanced further in the legislative process.
AI-generated summary
Lifecycle of the Bill
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.
Dec 9, 2025
Dec 9, 2025 · 15:00
Hearings to examine S.290, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to upgrade existing emergency communications centers in units of the National Park System to Next Generation 9-1-1 systems, S.332, to require a study on Holocaust education efforts of States, local educational agencies, and public elementary and secondary schools, S.446, to prohibit Big Cypress National Preserve from being designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, S.573, to designate a mountain in the State of Alaska as Denali, S.601, to remove restrictions from a parcel of land in Paducah, Kentucky, S.730, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of establishing the African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center at the African Burial Ground National Monument, S.791, to establish the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in the State of Maryland as an affiliated area of the National Park System, H.R.186, and S.858, bills to authorize the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation to establish a commemorative work on the National Mall to honor the extraordinary acts of valor, selfless service, and sacrifice displayed by Medal of Honor recipients, S.1088, to provide that the memorial to commemorate the sacrifice and service of the women who worked on the home front to support the efforts of the United States military during World War II may be located on the National Mall, S.1131, to establish the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in the State of Georgia, S.1135, to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, S.1280, to designate six creeks in North Carolina in honor of the lives lost in a plane crash in Carteret County, North Carolina, on February 13, 2022, S.1353, to extend the authority for modifications to the Second Division Memorial in the District of Columbia, S.1377, to ensure the maintenance of a herd of horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, S.1518, to redesignate the Saratoga National Historical Park as the "Saratoga National Battlefield Park", S.1777, to amend the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 to expand the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park, to redesignate the Cottonwood Visitor Center at Joshua Tree National Park as the "Dianne Feinstein Visitor Center", S.1870, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, S.1926, to encourage reduction of disposable plastic products in units of the National Park System, S.2270, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate the portion of the Myakka River in Sarasota County, Florida, as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, S.2308, to amend the Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to collect a surcharge from international visitors to units of the National Park System, S.2369, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to remove or permanently conceal the name of Francis Newlands on the grounds of the memorial fountain located at Chevy Chase Circle in the District of Columbia, S.2385, to codify Executive Order 14253 relating to restoring truth and sanity to American history, S.2546, to provide for an extension of the legislative authority of the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its environs, S.2708, to enhance the preservation, maintenance, and management of national historic trails and national scenic trails, S.2970, to authorize the use of off-highway vehicles in certain areas of the Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, and H.R.249, to redesignate certain facilities at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Committee
National ParksSummary
The Senate National Parks Subcommittee held a hearing on December 9, 2025, to examine approximately 30 bills related to the National Park System, historic sites, memorials, and public lands. The bills covered diverse topics including emergency communications upgrades at national parks, Holocaust education studies, boundary adjustments for various parks, establishment of new historic sites, and designation of wild and scenic rivers. Notable bills examined included S.2308, the PATRIOT Parks Act, which would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to collect surcharges from international visitors to national park units; S.1131, to establish the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in Georgia; and S.1777, to expand Joshua Tree National Park and rename a visitor center. The hearing also addressed memorials and commemorative works, including bills related to Medal of Honor recipients, World War II women's contributions, and Justice Thurgood Marshall. Witness testimony was made available at the start of the hearing, though specific witness names and testimony details are not yet publicly documented. The hearing represents the subcommittee's review of pending legislation before determining whether to advance any bills for further consideration.
