Sponsors (9)
The bill eliminates free entry on the President's birthday to preserve fee revenue and ensure uniform treatment, but it increases costs for visitors and reduces agency flexibility for targeted outreach and equity-based fee relief.
Taxpayers and federal land managers retain consistent fee revenue because units that charge entrance fees will no longer provide free access on the President's birthday, preserving predictable funding for operations.
The law clarifies and narrows agency discretion over birthday-related fee waivers, reducing the appearance of politically targeted benefits and making fee-waiver decisions more uniform.
Visitors who previously used free entry on the President's birthday will now have to pay entrance fees, increasing out‑of‑pocket costs for those park and refuge visitors.
National Park and Refuge units may lose goodwill and lower attendance for outreach events tied to Presidential birthday observances, potentially reducing public engagement and community outreach impact.
The restriction limits the Secretary of the Interior's flexibility to grant targeted fee relief, which could complicate use of fee waivers for equity, outreach, or locally tailored management objectives.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars waiving or reducing entrance fees at National Park or National Wildlife Refuge units to honor a sitting President's birthday, except when that birthday is a Federal holiday.
Introduced January 15, 2026 by Gabe Amo · Last progress January 15, 2026
Prohibits National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System units that charge entrance fees under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act from waiving or reducing those fees to commemorate the birthday of a sitting President, except when that birthday coincides with an existing Federal holiday. It narrows agency discretion over a specific category of fee waivers without changing other fee policies or creating new holidays.