To celebrate America's 250th birthday, this bill would make September 17, 2026 a fee-free day at every national park, national wildlife refuge, and recreation site managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Forest Service. Entrance fees and standard amenity recreation fees would be waived for all visitors on that single day. It's a one-time event tied to the semiquincentennial — the same date the Constitution was signed in 1787.
Congressional Summary
Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act or the STARS ActThis bill directs the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to designate September 17, 2026, as an entrance-fee free date in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. On that date, Interior must waive (1) the entrance fees for all visitors of National Park Service or National Wildlife Refuge System sites; and (2) the standard amenity recreation fees for all visitors to each site managed by the Bureau of Land Management or the Bureau of Reclamation. The Forest Service must waive the standard amenity recreation fees on that date for all visitors to sites it manages.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-09-18
- Date Added
- 2026-04-09