Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act
Last recorded step: House, Dec 10, 2025.
Nothing scheduled on the calendars we hold.
This bill would waive entrance and recreation fees at federal lands and parks on September 17, 2026, to honor the U.S. 250th anniversary.
What it does
This bill would direct the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to designate September 17, 2026, as an entrance-fee free day to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. On this date, the National Park Service would waive entrance fees, and the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation would waive standard amenity recreation fees for all visitors.
Who is affected
This bill affects all visitors to federal recreation sites managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest Service. These agencies and the Department of the Interior are required to waive entrance and standard amenity recreation fees for the public on September 17, 2026.
Key provisions
- Designation of a fee-free day for the U.S. Semiquincentennial. The bill directs the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to designate September 17, 2026, as an entrance-fee free date to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.
- Waiver of fees for Department of the Interior sites. The Department of the Interior must waive entrance fees for National Park Service sites and standard amenity recreation fees for sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation on the designated date.
- Waiver of fees for Forest Service sites. The Forest Service is required to waive standard amenity recreation fees for all visitors to the sites it manages on September 17, 2026.
Fiscal impact
- H.R. 4285, STARS Act· As reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on September 15, 2025
Effective dates
The bill's provisions specifically apply to September 17, 2026, designating it as the date for fee waivers at federal recreation sites.
Relationship to existing law
The bill modifies fee collection protocols for federal lands managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest Service by requiring a one-day waiver of entrance and standard amenity recreation fees.
Stated purpose
The bill aims to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States by providing public access to federal lands without cost. It requires the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to waive entrance and standard amenity recreation fees at various national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges on September 17, 2026.