Sponsor
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Representative · D-DC
Representative · D-DC
The bill clarifies and elevates Rock Creek Park's status—boosting visibility and reducing naming confusion for government—but at modest public expense and with a risk of increased visitor pressure on park resources.
Visitors to Washington, D.C., local residents, and nearby businesses will see Rock Creek Park formally recognized as a national park, likely increasing its visibility and attracting more tourism and recreational use.
Federal agencies, local governments, and mapmakers will have a consistent legal name for Rock Creek Park, reducing confusion in documents, signage, and administration.
Urban residents and park users may face increased crowding and greater maintenance needs as higher visibility attracts more visitors, which could strain park resources and reduce visitor experience.
Federal and local agencies will incur modest costs to update signage, maps, databases, and administrative records to reflect the new official name.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Renames Rock Creek Park in D.C. to Rock Creek National Park and updates federal references to use the new name.
Official title: To redesignate Rock Creek Park in the District of Columbia as Rock Creek National Park.
Introduced June 2, 2026 by Eleanor Holmes Norton · Last progress June 2, 2026
Redesignates the existing federal unit in the District of Columbia known as Rock Creek Park to the official name "Rock Creek National Park." It updates two citations in title 40 of the U.S. Code to use the new name and instructs that every reference in federal law, maps, regulations, documents, or records to Rock Creek Park in D.C. will be treated as a reference to Rock Creek National Park. No new programs, funding, or regulatory changes are created—this is a formal name-change and conforming amendment to federal statutes and references.