National Park Lease Extension Act

Summary#

This bill lets the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, extend some existing leases in units of the National Park System without opening the lease to competitive bidding. The rule applies to leases entered under part 18 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on January 3, 2025). To qualify, the lessee must have entered the lease at least 5 years before the extension and must be following the lease terms. The Secretary must also determine that the extension is in the best interests of managing the park unit. The bill requires the Secretary to revise part 18 of title 36, CFR, within 90 days after enactment to reflect this authority.

What it means for you#

  • If you hold a lease covered by part 18 that was signed at least 5 years before the extension and you are meeting its terms, this bill would allow the Interior Department to extend your lease without opening it to bidding, but only if the Secretary decides the extension serves the park unit's administration.
  • If you are a park manager, the bill gives the Secretary authority to keep certain long-standing lessees in place without running a new bidding process, subject to the conditions in the bill.
  • If you are a member of the public, the text explains a change in how some park leases could be renewed, but it does not describe any specific effects on park services or access.

Expenses#

The bill requires the Secretary to revise part 18 of title 36, CFR, within 90 days of enactment. No publicly available information on costs, savings, or budgetary effects is included in the bill text or provided metadata.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.