16 USC 6804 - Recreation passes

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 6805 of this title, referred to in subsec. (a)(6)(B), was in the original a reference to section 6, and was translated as meaning section 806 of title VIII of div. J of Puspan. L. 108–447, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

The National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998, referred to in subsec. (f)(1), is Puspan. L. 105–391, Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3497. Title VI of the Act was classified generally to subchapter V (§ 5991 et seq.) of chapter 79 of this title, prior to repeal by Puspan. L. 108–447, div. J, title VIII, § 813(d)(2), Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 3391. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Codification

In subsec. (f), “section 100904 of title 54” substituted for “section 4 of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965” in two places on authority of Puspan. L. 113–287, § 6(e), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3272, which Act enacted Title 54, National Park Service and Related Programs.

Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a)(6)(A). Puspan. L. 118–234, § 322(a), added subpar. (A) and struck out former subpar. (A). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Secretary shall sell the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass at all Federal recreational lands and waters at which an entrance fee or a standard amenity recreation fee is charged and at such other locations as the Secretaries consider appropriate and feasible.”

Subsec. (a)(10). Puspan. L. 118–234, § 322(span), added par. (10).

2021—Subsec. (a)(4). Puspan. L. 117–81, § 641(1), substituted “age discount and lifetime” for “age and disability discounted”.

Subsec. (a)(7). Puspan. L. 116–283, § 625(span)(1), struck out “age and disability” before “discounts”.

Subsec. (span). Puspan. L. 117–81, § 641(2)(A), substituted “Free and discounted” for “Discounted” in span.

Subsec. (span)(1)(A). Puspan. L. 116–283, § 625(span)(2)(A), substituted “this paragraph” for “this subsection” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (span)(2). Puspan. L. 117–81, § 641(2)(B)(i), substituted “Lifetime passes” for “Disability discount” in span.

Puspan. L. 116–283, § 625(span)(2)(B), which directed the substitution of “this paragraph” for “this subsection”, could not be executed due to intervening amendment by Puspan. L. 116–205. See 2020 Amendment note below.

Subsec. (span)(2)(B), (C). Puspan. L. 117–81, § 641(2)(B)(ii), added subpars. (B) and (C) and struck out former subpar. (B) which read as follows: “Any veteran who has been found to have a service-connected disability under title 38.”

Subsec. (span)(3). Puspan. L. 117–81, § 641(2)(C), substituted “Annual passes” for “Gold Star Families parks pass” in span and “members of the Armed Forces and their dependents who provide adequate proof of eligibility for such pass as determined by the Secretary.” for “members of Gold Star Families who meet the eligibility requirements of section 3.2 of Department of Defense Instruction 1348.36 (or a successor instruction).” in text.

Puspan. L. 116–283, § 625(a), added par. (3).

2020—Subsec. (span)(2). Puspan. L. 116–205 added par. (2) and struck out former par. (2). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Secretary shall make the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available, without charge, to any United States citizen or person domiciled in the United States who has been medically determined to be permanently disabled for purposes of section 705(20)(B)(i) of title 29, if the citizen or person provides adequate proof of the disability and such citizenship or residency. The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass made available under this subsection shall be valid for the lifetime of the passholder.”

2016—Subsec. (span)(1). Puspan. L. 114–289 designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), struck out “, at a cost of $10.00,” before “to any United States citizen”, substituted “shall be available—” and cls. (i) and (ii) for “shall be valid for the lifetime of the pass holder.”, and added subpar. (B).

2014—Subsec. (f)(1). Puspan. L. 113–287, § 5(d)(36)(B), struck out “; 16 U.S.C. 5991–5995” after “(Public Law 105–391”.

Puspan. L. 113–287, § 5(d)(36)(A), made technical amendment to reference in original act which appeared in text as reference to “section 460l–6a of this title” prior to substitution of “section 100904 of title 54”. See Codification note above.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Every Kid Outdoors Act

Puspan. L. 116–9, title IX, § 9001, Mar. 12, 2019, 133 Stat. 829, as amended by Puspan. L. 118–234, title II, § 232, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2890, provided that:

“(a)Definitions.—In this section:

“(1)Federal land and waters.—The term ‘Federal land and waters’ means any Federal land or body of water under the jurisdiction of any of the Secretaries to which the public has access.

“(2)Program.—The term ‘program’ means the Every Kid Outdoors program established under subsection (span)(1).

“(3)Secretaries.—The term ‘Secretaries’ means—

“(A) the Secretary [of the Interior], acting through—

“(i) the Director of the National Park Service;

“(ii) the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;

“(iii) the Director of the Bureau of Land Management; and

“(iv) the Commissioner of Reclamation;

“(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service;

“(C) the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and

“(D) the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.

“(4)State.—The term ‘State’ means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other territory or possession of the United States.

“(5)Student or students.—The term ‘student’ or ‘students’ means any fourth grader or home-schooled learner 10 years of age residing in the United States, including any territory or possession of the United States.

“(span)Every Kid Outdoors Program.—

“(1)Establishment.—The Secretaries shall jointly establish a program, to be known as the ‘Every Kid Outdoors program’, to provide free access to Federal land and waters for students and accompanying individuals in accordance with this subsection.

“(2)Annual passes.—

“(A)In general.—At the request of a student, the Secretaries shall issue a pass to the student, which allows access to Federal lands and waters for which access is subject to an entrance, standard amenity, or day use fee, free of charge for the student and—

“(i) in the case of a per-vehicle fee area—

“(I) any passengers accompanying the student in a private, noncommercial vehicle; or

“(II) not more than three adults accompanying the student on bicycles; or

“(ii) in the case of a per-person fee area, not more than three adults accompanying the student.

“(B)Term.—A pass described in subparagraph (A) shall be effective for a 12-month period that begins on a date determined by the Secretaries.

“(C)Presence of a student in grade four required.—A pass described in subparagraph (A) shall be effective only if the student to which the pass was issued is present at the point of entry to the applicable Federal land or water.

“(3)Other activities.—In carrying out the program, the Secretaries—

“(A) may collaborate with State Park systems that opt to implement a complementary Every Kid Outdoors State park pass;

“(B) may coordinate with the Secretary of Education to implement the program;

“(C) shall maintain a publicly available website with information about the program;

“(D) may provide visitor services for the program; and

“(E) may support approved partners of the Federal land and waters by providing the partners with opportunities to participate in the program.

“(4)Reports.—The Secretary, in coordination with each Secretary described in subparagraphs (B) through (D) of subsection (a)(3), shall prepare a comprehensive report to Congress each year describing—

“(A) the implementation of the program;

“(B) the number and geographical distribution of students who participated in the program; and

“(C) the number of passes described in paragraph (2)(A) that were distributed.

“(5)Sunset.—The authorities provided in this section, including the reporting requirement, shall expire on September 30, 2031.”

America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Program

Puspan. L. 113–121, title I, § 1048, June 10, 2014, 128 Stat. 1257, provided that: “The Secretary [of the Army] may participate in the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass program in the same manner as the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation, including the provision of free annual passes to active duty military personnel and dependents.”