119-S-2308 Journalist Public Summary

Public Summary — S. 2308 (119th): PATRIOT Parks Act

1) Headline Summary: A proposal to charge international visitors an extra fee at national parks—and a surcharge on annual passes bought by them—to raise money for maintenance and visitor services. [1]Congress.gov — Text - S.2308 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): PATRIOT Parks Act[2]Congress.gov — Text - S.2308 (XML) - 119th Congress: PATRIOT Parks Act

2) What It Does: The bill defines “international visitor” as someone admitted on a tourist/business visa or through the Visa Waiver Program. It lets the Interior Department—or a park superintendent who requests it—add a surcharge where a park already charges an entrance fee. Superintendents must set the amount to maximize revenue while still keeping international visitation. The surcharge can be collected by NPS or third‑party travel vendors; proportional rules would apply to per‑vehicle fees. Entrance-fee surcharges stay at the park for maintenance, staffing, and visitor services. A separate surcharge would apply when an international visitor buys an America the Beautiful pass, and those revenues would go to the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund. The surcharges are separate from visa fees and not run by State or Homeland Security. [1]Congress.gov — Text - S.2308 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): PATRIOT Parks Act[2]Congress.gov — Text - S.2308 (XML) - 119th Congress: PATRIOT Parks Act

3) Who’s For It:

• Sponsors: Sen. Jim Banks (R‑IN) introduced the bill on July 16, 2025; cosponsors include Sens. Tom Cotton (R‑AR), Eric Schmitt (R‑MO), and Tim Sheehy (R‑MT). [3]Congress.gov — All Info - S.2308 - 119th Congress: PATRIOT Parks Act
• Backers’ stated aim (from the text and disposition of funds): generate park revenue without raising prices on U.S. residents; keep most money where it’s collected to address maintenance and improve services. [1]Congress.gov — Text - S.2308 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): PATRIOT Parks Act
• Related effort: a House companion, H.R. 4604, advances a similar surcharge framework. [4]Congress.gov — Text - H.R. 4604 (119th): PATRIOT Parks Act

4) Who’s Against It:

• Travel and tourism groups and some gateway communities warn higher prices for foreign visitors could deter travel and hurt local businesses; similar fee proposals have drawn such criticism. [5]Washington Post — National parks announce 'America-first' upcharges for foreign…[6]Associated Press — Higher fees for foreigners visiting US national parks stokes…
• Equity and practicality concerns: differential pricing by nationality, ID checks at entrances, and added bureaucracy could slow lines and complicate operations. [5]Washington Post — National parks announce 'America-first' upcharges for foreign…

5) What’s Next: The bill was read twice and sent to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on July 16, 2025; the Subcommittee on National Parks scheduled a hearing including S. 2308 for December 9, 2025. Next steps would be a subcommittee markup, full committee consideration, then possible floor votes in the Senate and House. [3]Congress.gov — All Info - S.2308 - 119th Congress: PATRIOT Parks Act[7]U.S. Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee — National Park Subcommittee t…

6) Tone: Neutral, plain‑English overview for voters; no position taken.