Sponsors (47)
The bill reduces single-use plastic and environmental harm in national parks and can lower long-term costs for visitors, but it imposes upfront costs, administrative burdens, and short-term risks (including reduced bottled-water availability and potential dehydration) that could be passed to visitors or taxpayers.
Visitors and nearby communities will encounter less single-use plastic in national parks, reducing litter and harms to wildlife and improving park aesthetics and ecosystem health.
Visitors who switch to reusable bottles and use increased refill stations can see lower ongoing out-of-pocket costs compared with repeatedly buying bottled water.
Visitors’ health may be better protected because the NPS Office of Public Health must provide input and monitoring on water access and safety, helping track and mitigate dehydration or contamination risks.
Parks, concessioners, cooperating associations, and taxpayers will face upfront costs to install and maintain refill infrastructure and comply with new requirements, which could lead to higher prices for visitors or reduced services if costs are passed on or budgets are constrained.
Visitors could face reduced availability of bottled water or higher out-of-pocket costs during a phase-out period, creating inconvenience or expense for those who rely on bottled water.
If refill stations, clear signage, or monitoring are inadequate during implementation, some visitors risk dehydration or may resort to unsafe water sources.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs the National Park Service to establish a program (within 180 days) to reduce and, where feasible, eliminate sale and distribution of disposable plastic products in national parks.
Introduced May 23, 2025 by Mike Quigley · Last progress May 23, 2025
Requires the National Park Service Director to set up a program within 180 days to reduce disposable plastic products across units of the National Park System and, where feasible, eliminate the sale and distribution of disposable plastic products (including disposable plastic beverage bottles, single-use bags, disposable foodware, and expanded polystyrene). Regional directors must implement the plan, phase out bottled water and other single-use plastics to the greatest extent feasible after considering costs, infrastructure, safety, and contractual issues, and report every two years on public response, safety, and collection rates.