Sponsors (2)
The bill expands free annual access to federal recreational lands for military personnel and first responders and clarifies eligibility definitions—benefiting those groups and standardizing rules—while shifting costs to federal land agencies and creating potential verification and administrative burdens for government entities.
Military members and their dependents, law enforcement officers, and firefighters receive free annual access to national parks and federal recreational lands, lowering their out‑of‑pocket recreation costs.
Federal, state, local, and Tribal agencies benefit from clarified definitions of 'firefighter' and 'law enforcement officer,' which standardizes eligibility and reduces administrative ambiguity across jurisdictions.
Federal land management agencies and taxpayers face increased costs because expanding free passes reduces fee revenue that funds park maintenance and programs.
State, local, and Tribal governments and agencies may incur additional administrative burden and disputes over eligibility verification because broader or changed definitions can require new verification processes.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds law enforcement officers and firefighters to those eligible for the no-cost annual America the Beautiful pass and defines those terms.
Expands eligibility for the free annual "America the Beautiful" National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands pass to include law enforcement officers and firefighters (in addition to members of the Armed Forces and their dependents). It also defines "firefighter" and "law enforcement officer" to clarify which federal, State, local, and Tribal employees qualify for the no-cost pass.
Official title: To amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for a free annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for law enforcement officers and firefighters.
Introduced January 3, 2025 by Tom McClintock · Last progress July 22, 2025