S. 472Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 13, 2026 at 4:51 AM UTC

The Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act amends the 1996 Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act to set up a special Treasury account that keeps ski‑area permit fees collected on National Forest lands. The money in the account can be spent directly by the Forest Service for ski‑area program administration, local improvements, safety, and related recreation activities, without needing a new congressional appropriation. The bill directs how the funds are divided between the collecting forest unit and other forest units, and it limits the use of the money to specific activities, excluding wildfire suppression and land acquisition.

Key Provisions

Creates a “Ski Area Fee Retention Account” in the Treasury to hold ski‑area permit rental charges collected on National Forest lands.
The Treasury can deposit those charges into the account and make the money available to the Secretary of Agriculture for up to four fiscal years without a separate appropriation.
80% of the money stays with the forest unit that collected the fee (75% for ski‑area program administration and 25% for other local activities); the remaining 20% can be spent at any National Forest unit for the same purposes.
If the local unit’s needs are lower, the Secretary may lower the local share but not below 60%, with any excess funds re‑allocated elsewhere using the same 75/25 split.
Allowed uses include: administering ski‑area permits and applications, staff training, visitor information and signage, wildfire planning (but not suppression), facility/road/trail repair, habitat restoration, law‑enforcement, parking construction, avalanche education, search‑and‑rescue, and lease administration.
Funds cannot be used for wildfire suppression or for buying new land for the National Forest System.
The retained fees are meant to supplement, not replace, existing appropriated funding for forest‑unit operations.

Legislative Activity

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4 earlier actions

SenateCalendars Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 333.

February 11, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 6, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text: CR S795-796)

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

February 6, 2025

SenateCommittee

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

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

September 11, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee without amendment. With written report No. 119-104.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

February 11, 2026

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 333.

February 11, 2026

Floor Debate

5 members

What members said about S. 472 on the floor

2 Republicans3 Democrats

Sen. Alex PadillaD-CA · Feb 5, 2025

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Wildfire Intelligence Collaboration and Coordination Act of 2025. This legislation would establish a joint wildfire intelligence center between the…

Sen. John ThuneR-SD · Feb 5, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objections, the text of the bill was ordered to be

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Feb 5, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. John BarrassoR-WY · Feb 5, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. Charles E. SchumerD-NY · Feb 5, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

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Sen. John BarrassoR-WY · Feb 5, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

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Reported to SenateIssued February 11, 2026

Calendar No. 333

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 472

[Report No. 119–104]

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 6 (legislative day, February 5), 2025

Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Risch, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Daines, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. Luján, and Mr. Curtis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

February 11, 2026

Reported by Mr. Lee, without amendment

A BILL

To amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to provide for the establishment of a Ski Area Fee Retention Account, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act .

Establishment of ski area fee retention account

(a)

In general

Section 701 of division I of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 497c) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(k)

Ski area fee retention account

(1)

Definitions

In this subsection:

(A)

Account

The term Account means the Ski Area Fee Retention Account established under paragraph (2).

(B)

Covered unit

The term covered unit means the unit of the National Forest System that collects the ski area permit rental charge under this section.

(C)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

(2)

Establishment

The Secretary of the Treasury shall establish a special account in the Treasury, to be known as the Ski Area Fee Retention Account.

(3)

Deposits

Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), a ski area permit rental charge collected by the Secretary under this section shall—

(A)

be deposited in the Account;

(B)

be available to the Secretary for use, without further appropriation; and

(C)

remain available for the period of 4 fiscal years beginning with the first fiscal year after the fiscal year in which the ski area permit rental charge is deposited in the Account under subparagraph (A).

(4)

Distribution of amounts in the account

(A)

Local distribution of funds

(i)

In general

Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall expend 80 percent of the ski area permit rental charges deposited in the Account from a covered unit at the covered unit in accordance with clause (ii).

(ii)

Distribution

Of the amounts made available for expenditure under clause (i)—

(I)

75 percent shall be used at the covered unit for activities described in paragraph (5)(A); and

(II)

25 percent shall be used for activities at the covered unit described in paragraph (5)(B).

(B)

Agency-wide distribution of funds

The Secretary shall expend 20 percent of the ski area permit rental charges deposited in the Account from a covered unit at any unit of the National Forest System for an activity described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (5).

(C)

Reduction of percentage

(i)

Reduction

The Secretary shall reduce the percentage otherwise applicable under subparagraph (A)(i) to not less than 60 percent if the Secretary determines that the amount otherwise made available under that subparagraph exceeds the reasonable needs of the covered unit for which expenditures may be made in the applicable fiscal year.

(ii)

Distribution of funds

The balance of the ski area permit rental charges that are collected at a covered unit, deposited into the Account, and not distributed in accordance with subparagraph (A) or (B) shall be available to the Secretary for expenditure at any other unit of the National Forest System in accordance with the following:

(I)

75 percent shall be used for activities described in paragraph (5)(A).

(II)

25 percent shall be used for activities described in paragraph (5)(B).

(5)

Expenditures

Amounts available to the Secretary for expenditure from the Account shall be only used for—

(A)

(i)

the administration of the Forest Service ski area program, including—

(I)

the processing of an application for a new ski area or a ski area improvement project, including staffing and contracting for the processing; and

(II)

administering a ski area permit described in subsection (a);

(ii)

staff training for—

(I)

the processing of an application for—

(aa)

a new ski area;

(bb)

a ski area improvement project; or

(cc)

a special use permit; or

(II)

administering—

(aa)

a ski area permit described in subsection (a); or

(bb)

a special use permit;

(iii)

an interpretation activity, National Forest System visitor information, a visitor service, or signage;

(iv)

direct costs associated with collecting a ski area permit rental charge or other fee collected by the Secretary related to recreation;

(v)

planning for, or coordinating to respond to, a wildfire in or adjacent to a recreation site, particularly a ski area; or

(vi)

reducing the likelihood of a wildfire starting, or the risks posed by a wildfire, in or adjacent to a recreation site, particularly a ski area, except through hazardous fuels reduction activities; or

(B)

(i)

the repair, maintenance, or enhancement of a Forest Service-owned facility, road, or trail directly related to visitor enjoyment, visitor access, or visitor health or safety;

(ii)

habitat restoration directly related to recreation;

(iii)

law enforcement related to public use and recreation;

(iv)

the construction or expansion of parking areas;

(v)

the processing or administering of a recreation special use permit;

(vi)

avalanche information and education activities carried out by the Secretary or nonprofit partners;

(vii)

search and rescue activities carried out by the Secretary, a local government, or a nonprofit partner; or

(viii)

the administration of leases under—

(I)

the Forest Service Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act of 2005 (16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public Law 109–54); and

(II)

section 8623 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public Law 115–334).

(6)

Limitation

Amounts in the Account may not be used for—

(A)

the conduct of wildfire suppression; or

(B)

the acquisition of land for inclusion in the National Forest System.

(7)

Effect

(A)

In general

Nothing in this subsection affects the applicability of section 7 of the Act of April 24, 1950 (commonly known as the Granger-Thye Act) (16 U.S.C. 580d), to ski areas on National Forest System land.

(B)

Supplemental funding

Rental charges retained and expended under this subsection shall supplement (and not supplant) appropriated funding for the operation and maintenance of each covered unit.

(C)

Cost recovery

Nothing in this subsection affects any cost recovery under any provision of law (including regulations) for processing an application for or monitoring compliance with a ski area permit or other recreation special use permit.

(b)

Effective date

This section (including the amendments made by this section) shall take effect on the date that is 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

February 11, 2026

Reported without amendment