Other
Great American Outdoors Act 250
This bill requires foreign tourists visiting U.S. national parks and federal public lands to pay a surcharge of at least $100 on top of standard entry fees, or at least $250 for an annual park pass. All revenue collected from these fees will go into a dedicated restoration fund for repairing and maintaining federal lands and facilities. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must regularly report to Congress on whether the funding is successfully reducing deferred maintenance backlogs across federal land agencies.
People affected—Applies to nonimmigrant foreign visitors entering on B visas or the Visa Waiver Program who access fee-charging federal recreational lands, but total visitor counts are not determinable from the text provided.
Fiscal magnitude—no CBO estimate published
Reach48provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
What this bill touches.
Federal lands & resources+35
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- America’s Legacy Restoration FundReceives all new revenues generated from foreign visitor entrance fees and pass sales to support reducing deferred maintenance backlogs on public lands (Sec. 2(b), Sec. 3(d)).
Who it burdens
- Foreign tourists visiting federal recreational landsMust pay an additional entrance or standard amenity fee of at least $100 per person to enter fee-charging federal recreational lands and waters, or at least $250 for an annual pass (Sec. 3(a)–(c)).
- Government Accountability Office (GAO)Required to conduct an annual study and submit reports to Congress assessing the reduction of deferred maintenance backlogs across covered federal public land agencies (Sec. 2(b)).
Who backs it
- Foreign tourists visiting federal recreational landsRevenues from the new foreign visitor entrance fees (at least $100) and annual passes (at least $250) are dedicated directly to financing the America’s Legacy Restoration Fund (Sec. 3(b)–(d)).