STARS Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4285) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to designate an entrance-fee free date in 2026 at National Park Service sites in order to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4285, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4285, the Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act, or STARS Act, led by my colleague, the gentlewoman from Utah (Ms. Maloy).

This bill designates September 17, 2026, as a fee-free day across our national parks and other Federal recreation lands in honor of the 250th anniversary of our Nation's independence.

September 17 was also the date on which the U.S. Constitution was signed 11 years later, bringing together two foundational milestones in American history.

By waiving entrance and recreation fees at more than 400 National Park Service units and thousands of Federal recreation sites, the STARS Act ensures that families across the country can celebrate America 250 by connecting with our natural landscapes and historic places. From our forests and lakeshores to our battlefields and monuments, these sites tell the story of our liberty, resilience, and shared civic values.

This is a simple, bipartisan bill that expands access to our public lands, encourages public participation in the semiquincentennial, and reaffirms the ideals that continue to guide our Nation.

I commend Representative Maloy, as well as my fellow Arkansan, Senator John Boozman, for leading this bipartisan legislation in the House and the Senate, respectively. I also recognize the work of Representative Pete Stauber, who offered a thoughtful amendment during our Natural Resources Committee markup to expand this bill to national forests, refuges, and all public lands.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4285, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as we get ready to celebrate our 250th anniversary--and, actually, we are already in it with some of the Revolutionary War battles being fought already over 250 years ago--we look forward to Americans being able to have a very affordable day when they can go to our parks and Federal lands for free.

It is already an exciting time in America. I commend the gentlewoman who brought this bill to us and the effort that she has put forth to make sure that Americans can have an affordable day on our Federal lands.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Utah (Ms. Maloy), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I, once again, thank Representative Maloy and Chairman Boozman for their leadership on the STARS Act in their respective Chambers of Congress.

This is a good bill that gives every American the opportunity to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation's independence in the very places that conserve our history and our heritage.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, next year our Nation will celebrate its 250th birthday. H.R. 4285, the STARS Act, would mark that milestone on September 17, 2026, by providing free entrance to National Park Service sites and waiving standard amenity recreation fees to sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Forest Service.

I fully support helping more Americans experience our public lands and will be honored to support this bill. However, it is hard to ignore how hollow this gesture feels when it comes alongside the ongoing Republican effort to undermine access to these very places.

While we may be hearing how treasured our public lands are from my colleagues today, some of their actions paint a different picture.

Republicans are slashing the already underfunded land management agencies' budgets. Republicans are firing hardworking Americans who keep our public lands open and safe. Republicans are trying to sell off our public lands for a quick buck.

Republicans are working to undo protections for national monuments, trying to block updates to outdated resource management plans, and pushing reckless development for extractive industries no matter the public health or environmental consequences.

Republicans are attacking bedrock environmental and historic preservation laws, attempting to erase and rewrite history in our public lands, and working to turn our public lands into prisons and detention centers.

Americans deserve better. They deserve public lands that are open, well cared for, and honest about our history, not just a few symbolic gestures and a free entrance day every now and then.

It is our responsibility to care for our public lands, to support the people who care for them, and to ensure they reflect the full and robust history of everyone who shaped this country. That is how we can honor the past and ensure our public lands remain places that future generations of Americans can learn from and enjoy.

Democrats will continue to stand up for our Federal workforce and to fight to protect Americans' public lands.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am enthusiastically in support of this policy, but I think I have to underscore, again, that our public lands belong to all Americans, as the previous sponsor mentioned, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, or background.

The stories preserved at sites like Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial in my district serve as powerful reminders of what happens when we allow fear and prejudice to override our values of inclusion and justice. In this moment in our history as we celebrate the semiquincentennial of our Nation, we are also watching history attempt to repeat itself with the rounding up of Americans and the rounding up of folks living in this country who are being persecuted in our streets and on our public lands.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation and urge all my colleagues to support it, as well. I also urge us to learn from our history and to move forward more equitably.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, Americans are preparing to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States in 2026.

How do you properly celebrate 250 years of freedom? One very uniquely American way is to spend time in what Wallace Stegner called ``the best idea we ever had,'' our national parks.

National parks provide our connection to history, nature, and shared heritage, including our bright future as a nation. The Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act, which doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, so we call it the STARS Act, designates Constitution Day, September 17, 2026, as a fee-free day at National Park Service sites and extends fee waivers to Federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the United States Forest Service.

This allows Americans to experience our national history, natural treasures, and natural resources that preserve and protect the legacy that began in 1776.

This legislation is complementary to the Department of the Interior's effort to launch the digital America the Beautiful passes, expand motorcycle access, create a resident-focused fee structure, and otherwise improve the experience for Americans.

The STARS Act highlights Constitution Day to encourage reflection on America's founding principles. Get out and enjoy this Nation's natural resources, learn something new, or just celebrate with loved ones in one of our parks.

Free access encourages families and communities to visit, learn, and participate in the national celebration together. Americans just might come together during this major national commemoration by getting outside in a forest, historic park, bird refuge, or go on an iconic hike.

The STARS Act is about connecting Americans with history, nature, and the founding principles of our Republic. We can celebrate America's birthday in a very American way that invites all people, regardless of politics, religion, age, or income bracket to be united in taking part in the freedoms we enjoy as a result of our Constitution.

Maybe, just maybe, by joining together to mark this milestone, we can awaken a fresh reverence and respect for our founding documents, our collective national blessings, and the ideas that changed the world two-and-a-half centuries ago.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.