119-HR-4285 Investigative Journalist Impact Analysis

Summary

What the bill does. H.R. 4285 directs Interior and the Forest Service to waive fees on September 17, 2026 (Constitution Day), covering NPS entrance fees and standard amenity recreation fees at BLM, FWS, BOR and Forest Service day‑use sites. The text applies to “all visitors.” [1]Congress.gov — Text of H.R.4285 — STARS Act (Reported in House)

Baseline context. NPS has already announced 2026 fee‑free access on Constitution Day as part of a broader schedule, but indicated those 2026 fee‑free benefits are limited to U.S. citizens and residents. The statute’s plain language would override that limitation for the specified date, extending the waiver to non‑residents at affected sites. [2]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Entrance Passes page (2026 changes; fee‑free d…[1]Congress.gov — Text of H.R.4285 — STARS Act (Reported in House)

• Economic: One weekday fee‑free date yields a small revenue dip to FLREA accounts that fund maintenance and visitor services, partly offset by a localized bump in gateway‑community spending from added trips or trip‑shifting. [3]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — CRS In Focus: Federal Lands R…[4]U.S. National Park Service — NPS: Your Fee Dollars at Work (FLREA retention and…[5]U.S. Department of the Interior — DOI Press Release: National Parks Contributed…
• Social: Lowers a price barrier for a single day system‑wide, with incremental access benefits most salient near urban and popular parks; the “all visitors” clause eliminates residency screening that NPS planned to apply to 2026 fee‑free days. [2]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Entrance Passes page (2026 changes; fee‑free d…[1]Congress.gov — Text of H.R.4285 — STARS Act (Reported in House)
• Environmental/operational: Concentrated visitation can raise congestion, emissions, and search‑and‑rescue demand on the day, though impacts are time‑limited; September 17, 2026 falls on a Thursday, which moderates peak effects. [6]U.S. Geological Survey — USGS/PLOS Climate (2024): Emissions from tourism to Ye…[7]Web search · turn 7 #1[8]Calendar‑12.com — September 2026 calendar (day‑of‑week reference)

Economic Effects

Effects on fee revenues, visitor spending, and related markets.

• Fee revenue at risk (order‑of‑magnitude). FY2023 site‑specific FLREA receipts across NPS/FS/BLM/FWS/BOR totaled ~$482.3 million; a single day equals ~0.27% (~$1.3 million). Because the bill waives only entrance and standard amenity fees (not expanded amenity/camping) and not all sites charge fees, the practical revenue impact is likely below this upper bound. [3]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — CRS In Focus: Federal Lands R…
• Where those dollars go. By law and policy, at least 80% of fee receipts stay at the collecting site for maintenance, visitor services, and health/safety projects—so the dip is felt locally (e.g., trail work, restrooms, small repairs). [4]U.S. National Park Service — NPS: Your Fee Dollars at Work (FLREA retention and…
• Visitation and local spending. NPS estimates show 325.5 million visits in 2023 with $26.4 billion in gateway spending; even a small visitation uptick on the day can yield local retail/lodging/food benefits, though some trips may shift from adjacent days instead of being net new. [5]U.S. Department of the Interior — DOI Press Release: National Parks Contributed…
• Elasticity and substitution. Evidence on fee sensitivity is mixed and often shows low price elasticity at marquee parks; older NPS reviews of fee‑free weekends suggested limited system‑wide visitation changes, implying substitution effects and media‑driven timing shifts. [9]National Parks Traveler — National Parks Traveler (2009): Fee‑free weekends’ vi…
• Outdoor recreation macro‑context. The broader outdoor recreation economy grew in 2023 (employment and output), suggesting gateway communities can absorb and benefit from minor surges associated with commemorative events. [10]U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — BEA: Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, U…
• Interaction with 2026 policy. Because NPS planned 2026 resident‑only fee‑free days, statutory “all visitors” coverage on Sept. 17 could incrementally increase international visitation and associated local spending at fee‑charging units on that weekday. [2]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Entrance Passes page (2026 changes; fee‑free d…[1]Congress.gov — Text of H.R.4285 — STARS Act (Reported in House)

Social Effects

Distributional and community impacts.

• Access equity (for one day). Waiving entrance and standard amenity fees removes a direct price barrier at approximately 157 NPS fee‑charging units and selected day‑use sites across other agencies; benefits likely skew to nearby and lower‑income visitors for whom marginal cost matters more. [3]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — CRS In Focus: Federal Lands R…
• Residency screening conflict removed. NPS’s 2026 plan tied fee‑free eligibility to U.S. residents; the bill’s “all visitors” text eliminates verification frictions at gates on Sept. 17 and avoids potential confusion or delays tied to ID checks that day. [2]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Entrance Passes page (2026 changes; fee‑free d…[1]Congress.gov — Text of H.R.4285 — STARS Act (Reported in House)
• Civic engagement. Aligning the waiver with Constitution Day may increase participation in commemorative programs at historical parks and sites, especially those that normally charge for entry. [1]Congress.gov — Text of H.R.4285 — STARS Act (Reported in House)

Environmental Effects

Short‑lived but concentrated pressures from additional trips.

• Travel emissions dominate tourism footprints. At Yellowstone, researchers estimate ~479 kg CO2‑e per visitor on average, with ~90% from travel to/from the park—an indicator that any travel surge, even for a day, marginally increases emissions. [6]U.S. Geological Survey — USGS/PLOS Climate (2024): Emissions from tourism to Ye…
• Visitor transport is a major source of park‑related emissions. Park‑level inventories (e.g., Glacier) attribute the majority of emissions to visitor vehicles, underscoring that fee‑free promotions can trade access gains for short‑term environmental costs. [11]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Article: Glacier’s Green Team Gains (visitor‑v…
• Operational buffers remain. The waiver does not cover expanded amenity or reservation/timed‑entry fees, and managers can retain tools (e.g., timed entry where in effect) to manage crowding and protect resources. NPS notes that other fees (including reservation fees) may still apply on fee‑free days. [2]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Entrance Passes page (2026 changes; fee‑free d…

Temporal Analysis

How impacts differ between the immediate event and the longer run.

1. Immediate (Sept. 17, 2026). A Thursday in the post‑summer shoulder season; expect moderate, localized surges at marquee and urban‑proximate fee sites; minor one‑day revenue dip; small, temporary environmental and congestion costs. [8]Calendar‑12.com — September 2026 calendar (day‑of‑week reference)
2. Medium to long term. Minimal structural effects: the bill establishes no recurring waiver. Precedent value is symbolic (semquincentennial commemoration) and administrative (cross‑agency synchronization under FLREA definitions). [1]Congress.gov — Text of H.R.4285 — STARS Act (Reported in House)[12]Legal Information Institute (Cornell) — 16 U.S.C. § 6801 — FLREA definitions (L…

Unintended Consequences

Credible risks, trade‑offs, and edge cases to watch.

• Maintenance funding timing. Fee dollars are often scheduled against near‑term projects; a one‑day dip may defer small site‑level tasks (e.g., restroom servicing, trail work) if not backfilled. [4]U.S. National Park Service — NPS: Your Fee Dollars at Work (FLREA retention and…
• Crowding and safety. Higher visitation correlates with more search‑and‑rescue incidents; even on weekdays, popular sites may see added safety workload. [7]Web search · turn 7 #1
• Policy interaction/clarity. NPS’s 2026 plan to restrict fee‑free days to residents conflicts with the bill’s “all visitors” clause; agencies should issue guidance to gate staff to avoid inconsistent screening on Sept. 17. [2]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Entrance Passes page (2026 changes; fee‑free d…[1]Congress.gov — Text of H.R.4285 — STARS Act (Reported in House)
• Scope boundaries. The waiver does not extend to expanded amenity fees (e.g., campgrounds) or special recreation permits; some visitors may still face costs, tempering overall access gains. [13]Bureau of Land Management — BLM Fee‑Free Days policy (scope limited to standard…

Assessment

Analytical summary (not advocacy).

Overall stance: Neutral. The STARS Act’s one‑day, cross‑agency waiver is unlikely to materially change annual finances or ecological conditions system‑wide. It modestly improves access (including for non‑residents on that date), likely boosts some gateway‑community sales, and imposes small, localized maintenance and environmental costs that managers can mostly absorb with existing tools. The bill mainly harmonizes and codifies a date that NPS already planned to observe, while resolving—at least for that day—its resident‑only limitation. [2]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Entrance Passes page (2026 changes; fee‑free d…[1]Congress.gov — Text of H.R.4285 — STARS Act (Reported in House)

Key Metrics

Sources: CRS FLREA overview; DOI/NPS visitor‑spending press release; USGS emissions study; NPS fee policy pages; calendar references. [3]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — CRS In Focus: Federal Lands R…[5]U.S. Department of the Interior — DOI Press Release: National Parks Contributed…[6]U.S. Geological Survey — USGS/PLOS Climate (2024): Emissions from tourism to Ye…[4]U.S. National Park Service — NPS: Your Fee Dollars at Work (FLREA retention and…[2]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Entrance Passes page (2026 changes; fee‑free d…[8]Calendar‑12.com — September 2026 calendar (day‑of‑week reference)

Sourcing

Key references used for this assessment.

• Bill text and purpose (Congress.gov). [1]Congress.gov — Text of H.R.4285 — STARS Act (Reported in House)
• Bill status and committee history (Congress.gov All‑Info). [14]Congress.gov — All Info for H.R.4285 — actions and committee history
• NPS 2026 fee‑free schedule and residency limitation; reservation fees caveat. [2]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Entrance Passes page (2026 changes; fee‑free d…
• CRS overview of FLREA: receipts by agency; number of fee sites; retention of fees. [3]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — CRS In Focus: Federal Lands R…
• NPS explanation of fee retention (≥80% local use). [4]U.S. National Park Service — NPS: Your Fee Dollars at Work (FLREA retention and…
• NPS/DOI: 2023 Visitor Spending Effects ($26.4B; 325.5M visits). [5]U.S. Department of the Interior — DOI Press Release: National Parks Contributed…
• BEA Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (macro trend). [10]U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — BEA: Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, U…
• USGS study on tourism emissions at Yellowstone (travel dominates). [6]U.S. Geological Survey — USGS/PLOS Climate (2024): Emissions from tourism to Ye…
• NPS Glacier article on visitor‑vehicle emissions share. [11]U.S. National Park Service — NPS Article: Glacier’s Green Team Gains (visitor‑v…
• BLM policy: fee‑free days waive standard amenity/day‑use fees, not expanded amenity fees. [13]Bureau of Land Management — BLM Fee‑Free Days policy (scope limited to standard…
• FLREA definitions (LII: 16 U.S.C. §6801). [12]Legal Information Institute (Cornell) — 16 U.S.C. § 6801 — FLREA definitions (L…
• Calendar reference confirming Sept. 17, 2026 is a Thursday. [8]Calendar‑12.com — September 2026 calendar (day‑of‑week reference)
• Historic evidence on fee‑free visitation effects (NPT). [9]National Parks Traveler — National Parks Traveler (2009): Fee‑free weekends’ vi…