Sponsors (2)
The bill increases affordable public-lands access for foster families (including accommodations for larger families) but introduces eligibility verification and one-pass limits that may cause administrative burdens, potential exclusions, and modest taxpayer-funded costs.
Foster families (parents/caregivers and children/youth) become eligible for a free annual interagency recreation pass, with provisions to provide additional passes for large foster families so more household members can visit national parks and public lands together without extra entrance costs.
The bill enumerates eligibility categories and specifies required documentation, clarifying administrative rules and potentially streamlining pass processing for state and federal land managers.
Requiring foster families to provide proof of eligibility as determined by the Secretary could create extra paperwork, verification delays, or barriers when families seek passes.
Limiting to one pass per foster family home (with limited additional-pass rules) may exclude some household members or non-standard visiting arrangements, causing confusion or denied access for children or caregivers.
Implementing eligibility verification and administering the pass program will impose modest additional administrative costs on land management agencies, which are ultimately funded by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds families living in foster family homes to eligibility for a free annual interagency federal recreation pass, with proof and per-family limits.
Official title: To amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for free annual passes to licensed foster families.
Introduced June 4, 2026 by Russell Fulcher · Last progress June 4, 2026
Expands eligibility for the free annual interagency federal recreation pass to include families that live in a foster family home. The bill directs the Secretary to require proof of foster-family status, limits issuance to one free pass per family (with allowance for additional passes if a family is too large to be covered by a single pass), and reorganizes existing statutory language into enumerated subclauses for clarity.