PATRIOT Parks Act

The PATRIOT Parks Act would authorize the National Park Service to impose a surcharge on entrance fees and on National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes specifically for international visitors (nonimmigrants who come to the U.S. on certain visa categories). The surcharge would be set by park unit superintendents (in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior) and would be collected by the Secretary with an option to use third-party travel vendors. The goal is to increase revenue for individual park units while attempting to keep international visitation from declining. Proceeds from the entrance fee surcharge would stay with the unit where collected and be used for maintenance, visitor services, staffing, and related needs. A separate provision adds a surcharge on passes sold to international visitors, with those funds deposited into the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund. The bill also defines “international visitor,” describes how the surcharge is to be calculated (including potential per-vehicle adjustments and tiered pricing), and allows suspension, modification, or targeted increases by the Secretary or unit superintendent. The surcharge would be in addition to existing visa fees and would not be administered by the State Department or Department of Homeland Security.