H.R. 9250: Great American Outdoors Act 250
Sponsor
Bruce Westerman
Republican · AR-4
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Jun 24, 2026
Committee approved bill for floor consideration in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Park repairs come with a $100 foreign visitor surcharge
Why it matters
H.R. 9250 would add at least $100 to many foreign visitors' park trips—and set a foreign-visitor annual pass floor at $250—with every dollar sent to the federal repair fund for public lands.
H.R. 9250 keeps the current federal public-lands repair fund in place but gives it a new name: the America's Legacy Restoration Fund. The bill says plainly that this is not a new fund and does not change the money already in it.
The bigger change is a new pricing rule for many foreign visitors. If you're traveling to the United States on a standard tourism or business visa—or through the Visa Waiver Program—and you visit federal recreation sites that already charge an entrance or amenity fee, the bill sets an added charge of at least $100 per person.
It also sets a separate minimum price of $250 for the annual America the Beautiful-style pass sold to those visitors. The bill directs all of that new fee revenue into the restoration fund, linking higher visitor charges to maintenance work on parks and other federal lands.
H.R. 9250 also adds recurring oversight. GAO would have to report within 2 years of enactment and then every year after that on whether the law is actually reducing deferred maintenance across five covered agencies.
H.R. 9250 Bill Summary
What H.R. 9250 actually does.
Foreign visitors pay at least $100 extra at many sites
For federal recreational lands and waters that already charge an entrance or standard amenity fee, many foreign tourism and business visitors would pay an added fee of not less than $100 per person.
Foreign-visitor annual pass starts at $250
The bill requires the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass to be sold to covered foreign visitors for not less than $250.
Every new fee dollar goes to park repairs
All money collected from the new foreign visitor fees would be deposited into the America's Legacy Restoration Fund.
The repair fund keeps operating under a new name
The bill renames the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund as the America's Legacy Restoration Fund and says that change does not create a new fund or alter existing balances.
GAO must check whether repairs are actually happening
GAO would have to report to Congress within 2 years after enactment and then annually on whether the law is reducing deferred maintenance.
Five agencies would be measured
The oversight review covers the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and Bureau of Indian Education.
Who benefits from H.R. 9250?
People who use national parks and other federal lands
If the added fee revenue is meaningful, you could see repairs to roads, campgrounds, visitor centers, trails, and other aging facilities funded through the existing restoration fund.
Land agencies with large maintenance backlogs
The five covered agencies would get a dedicated stream of new fee revenue tied directly to deferred maintenance work.
Taxpayers who want proof the repair money is working
GAO would have to issue a first report within 2 years and then annual updates, giving Congress and the public a regular scorecard on whether the backlog is actually shrinking.
Who is affected by H.R. 9250?
Foreign tourists and business travelers
If you enter the United States on a standard tourism or business visa, the bill would add at least $100 to visits at covered federal recreation sites that already charge fees.
Visa Waiver Program travelers
If you visit without a visa through the Visa Waiver Program, you are also included in the bill's foreign-visitor fee rules.
Federal land managers
Agencies would have to implement the new pricing rules and then be evaluated on whether the extra revenue is helping reduce deferred maintenance.
U.S. tourism businesses near park destinations
Hotels, tour operators, and gateway communities could be affected if higher park-entry costs change how some international visitors plan their trips.
HR9250 Legislative Journey
House: Vote Held
Jun 24, 2026
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
House: Committee Action
Jun 12, 2026
Committee Hearings Held
House: Committee Action
Jun 10, 2026
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
About the Sponsor
Bruce Westerman
Republican, Arkansas's 4th congressional district · 11 years in Congress
Committees: Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure
View full profile →
Cosponsors (217)
This bill has 217 cosponsors: 109 Democrats, 108 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 49 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, and 46 more.
Jared Huffman
Democrat · CA
Mike Ezell
Republican · MS
Joe Neguse
Democrat · CO
Wesley Hunt
Republican · TX
Val Hoyle
Democrat · OR
Julie Fedorchak
Republican · ND
Sarah Elfreth
Democrat · MD
Aumua Amata Radewagen
Republican · AS
Julia Brownley
Democrat · CA
Ryan Zinke
Republican · MT
Lateefah Simon
Democrat · CA
Carol Miller
Republican · WV
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Natural Resources Committee
39 of 45 committee members cosponsored
Agriculture Committee
30 of 53 committee members cosponsored
20 Republicans across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 9250 change?
3 changes
Sections Amended
Section 802 of Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801)
adding at the end the following: ``(17) Visitor nonimmigrant
Section 217 of Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187).''. (b) Entry Fee for Foreign Visitors.--Section 803(e) of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6802(e))
adding at the end the following: ``(3) Foreign visitors
Section 805(a) of Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6804(a))
adding at the end the following: ``(11) Rule for visitor nonimmigrants
H.R. 9250 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Natural Resources
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Introduced
- Jun 10, 2026
Committee approved bill for floor consideration in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Jun 24, 2026
Official Sources
Official Congress.gov page for the bill with status, text, actions, and summaries.
This is the U.S. Code chapter the bill would amend and rename as the America’s Legacy Restoration Fund.
The bill adds the new foreign-visitor fee and annual pass rules by amending the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.
Official National Park Service page explaining the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass referenced in the bill.
GAO would be required to report within 2 years and annually thereafter on whether the law reduces deferred maintenance.
Provides official background on deferred maintenance, the core repair problem this bill aims to address.
The bill explicitly applies to certain travelers entering under the Visa Waiver Program.
H.R. 9250 Common Questions
Would H.R. 9250 add a new $100 fee for foreign visitors?
Yes. H.R. 9250 sets an added fee of at least $100 per covered foreign visitor at federal recreation sites that already charge an entrance or amenity fee.
Who would have to pay the new park fee under H.R. 9250?
Many tourists and business travelers entering on standard visitor visas would pay it, along with travelers using the Visa Waiver Program.
Is the $100 charge on top of normal national park fees?
Yes. The bill says the foreign-visitor charge is added on top of any entrance fee or standard amenity fee already in place.
How much would the annual parks pass cost for covered foreign visitors?
At least $250. H.R. 9250 sets that as the minimum price for the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for covered foreign visitors.
Where would the new foreign visitor fees go?
All of the money would go into the America's Legacy Restoration Fund, which pays for repairs and deferred maintenance on covered public lands.
Does H.R. 9250 create a brand-new parks fund?
No. It renames the current restoration fund as the America's Legacy Restoration Fund and says that does not create a new fund or change existing balances.
Would this bill change how park repairs are tracked?
Yes. GAO would have to report to Congress within 2 years after enactment and then every year after that on whether deferred maintenance is being reduced.
Which agencies are covered by the repair review in H.R. 9250?
Five: the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and Bureau of Indian Education.
Based on H.R. 9250 bill text
H.R. 9250 Bill Text
“To modernize and maintain the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Education in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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