H.R. 560House115th Congress (2017-2019)Enacted

To amend the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to provide access to certain vehicles serving residents of municipalities adjacent to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and for other purposes.

Sponsored by Tom MarinoRep. Tom Marino (R-PA)
Introduced January 13, 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 11:59 AM UTC

The bill changes the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to let local businesses and residents in nearby Pennsylvania towns use Highway 209, a federal road inside the recreation area, for commercial purposes. It sets up a permit and fee system for those vehicles and clarifies which vehicles are exempt. The changes affect commercial drivers, local schools, emergency services, and the National Park Service that manages the road.

Key Provisions

  • Allows commercial vehicles with four or fewer axles owned by businesses located in the recreation area or in specified adjacent municipalities to use Highway 209 until September 30 2021, overriding the general ban on commercial traffic.
  • Creates a permit program with an annual fee of up to $200 per vehicle; fees go into a dedicated account for administering the program.
  • Exempts local school buses, fire, ambulance, and other emergency vehicles from the fee and permit requirements.
  • Specifies that certain commercial vehicles traveling on designated stretches of Federal Road Route 209 (from Milford to the Delaware River Bridge and from mile 0 to Pennsylvania State Route 2001) are also exempt.
  • Defines “adjacent municipalities” as nine Pennsylvania townships and boroughs surrounding the recreation area.
  • Repeals a conforming amendment in the 1996 Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act that conflicted with these changes.

Legislative Activity

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17 earlier actions
Became Law Latest Action

Became Public Law No: 115-101.

January 8, 2018

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 13, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

January 13, 2017

HouseFloor

Mr. McClintock moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

January 30, 2017 • 5:21 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H717-718)

January 30, 2017 • 5:21 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 560.

January 30, 2017 • 5:21 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H717-718)

January 30, 2017 • 5:29 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H717-718)

January 30, 2017 • 5:29 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

January 30, 2017 • 5:29 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate.

January 31, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

March 7, 2017

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

March 30, 2017

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 115-51.

May 9, 2017

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 64.

May 9, 2017

SenateFloor

Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S8267-8269)

December 21, 2017

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

December 22, 2017

President

Presented to President.

December 27, 2017

Became Law

Signed by President.

January 8, 2018

Became Law

Became Public Law No: 115-101.

January 8, 2018

Floor Debate

6 members

What members said about H.R. 560 on the floor

4 Republicans1 Democrat1 Independent
Michael B. Enzi
Sen. Michael B. EnziR-WY · Feb 28, 2018

Mr. President, I wish to submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report for February 2018. The report compares current-law levels of spending and revenues with the amounts the Senate agreed to…

Michael B. Enzi
Sen. Michael B. EnziR-WY · Apr 12, 2018

Mr. President, I wish to submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report for April 2018. The report compares current-law levels of spending and revenues with the amounts the Senate agreed to in…

Michael B. Enzi
Sen. Michael B. EnziR-WY · Jan 18, 2018

Madam President, I wish to submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report for January 2018. The report compares current-law levels of spending and revenues with the amounts the Senate agreed to…

Tom McClintock
Rep. Tom McClintockR-CA-4 · Jan 30, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 560) to amend the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to provide access to certain vehicles serving residents…

Bernard Sanders
Sen. Bernard SandersI-VT · Jan 31, 2017

At 12:02 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the following bills, in which it requests the…

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Tom Marino
Rep. Tom MarinoR-PA-10 · Jan 30, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 560, my bill to reauthorize limited commercial vehicle traffic along Route 209 through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Tomorrow marks 16…

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill, H.R. 560, amends the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to extend a waiver for certain commercial traffic…

Mitch McConnell
Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY · Dec 21, 2017

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Energy and Natural Resources Committee be discharged from further consideration of the following bills: S. 1438 and H.R. 1927; and that the Senate…

Mitch McConnell
Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY · Dec 21, 2017

Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the bills. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Bill Text

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One Hundred Fifteenth Congress of the United States of America

At the First Session

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the third day of January, two thousand and seventeen

H. R. 560

AN ACT

To amend the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to provide access to certain vehicles serving residents of municipalities adjacent to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and for other purposes.

1.

Vehicular access and fees

Section 4 of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act (Public Law 109–156) is amended to read as follows:

4.

Use of certain roads within the recreation area

(a)

In general

Except as otherwise provided in this section, Highway 209, a federally owned road within the boundaries of the Recreation Area, shall be closed to all commercial vehicles.

(b)

Exception for local business use

Until September 30, 2021, subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to the use of commercial vehicles that have four or fewer axles and are—

(1)

owned and operated by a business physically located in—

(A)

the Recreation Area; or

(B)

one or more adjacent municipalities; or

(2)

necessary to provide services to businesses or persons located in—

(A)

the Recreation Area; or

(B)

one of more adjacent municipalities.

(c)

Fee

The Secretary shall establish a fee and permit program for the use by commercial vehicles of Highway 209 under subsection (b). The program shall include an annual fee not to exceed $200 per vehicle. All fees received under the program shall be set aside in a special account and be available, without further appropriation, to the Secretary for the administration and enforcement of the program, including registering vehicles, issuing permits and vehicle identification stickers, and personnel costs.

(d)

Exceptions

The following vehicles may use Highway 209 and shall not be subject to a fee or permit requirement under subsection (c):

(1)

Local school buses.

(2)

Fire, ambulance, and other safety and emergency vehicles.

(3)

Commercial vehicles using Federal Road Route 209, from—

(A)

Milford to the Delaware River Bridge leading to U.S. Route 206 in New Jersey; and

(B)

mile 0 of Federal Road Route 209 to Pennsylvania State Route 2001.

.

2.

Definitions

Section 2 of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act (Public Law 109–156) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as paragraphs (2) through (6), respectively; and

(2)

by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated by paragraph (1) of this section) the following:

(1)

Adjacent municipalities

The term adjacent municipalities means Delaware Township, Dingman Township, Lehman Township, Matamoras Borough, Middle Smithfield Township, Milford Borough, Milford Township, Smithfield Township and Westfall Township, in Pennsylvania.

.

3.

Conforming amendment

Section 702 of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–333) is repealed.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate.