This bill, called the Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act (STARS Act), tells the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the National Park Service, to make September 17, 2026 an entrance-fee free day. On that date, admission would be free for all visitors at each National Park Service site that normally charges an entrance fee. The bill says this is to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States.
If you visit a National Park Service site that normally charges an entrance fee on September 17, 2026, you would not have to pay the usual entrance fee on that day. Sites that already do not charge an entrance fee would be unaffected. This is a one-day designation set for 2026.
No publicly available information on costs, revenue effects, or funding is included in the bill text. The bill does not provide budget or cost estimates.
The bill text states the action is "in honor of the semiquincentennial of the United States of America." Supporters would present it as a way to mark the 250th anniversary and provide fee-free park access on a designated day.
No publicly available information on opposition or counterarguments is included in the provided text.