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HR 4285
Passed House Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

STARS Act

Introduced Jul 2, 2025

Latest action (Dec 10, 2025) Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Referred to
Energy and Natural Resources Committee Natural Resources Committee
Policy area
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Legislative subjects (4)
Commemorative events and holidaysParks, recreation areas, trailsUser charges and feesU.S. history

Summary

This Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to make September 17, 2026, entrance-fee free at all National Park Service sites to celebrate America's 250th anniversary. On that date, the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture shall also waive standard amenity recreation fees at sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and Forest Service. The result is that visitors will have free access to these federal recreational sites on a single designated day in 2026.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Actions (16)
  1. Dec 10, 2025 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. · senate
  2. Dec 9, 2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  3. Dec 9, 2025 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5074) · house
  4. Dec 9, 2025 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5074)
  5. Dec 9, 2025 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4285. · house
  6. Dec 9, 2025 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5074-5075) · house
  7. Dec 9, 2025 Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. · house
  8. Sep 15, 2025 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 250. · house
  9. Sep 15, 2025 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-294. · house
  10. Jul 23, 2025 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent. · house
  11. Jul 23, 2025 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
  12. Jul 23, 2025 Subcommittee on Federal Lands Discharged · house
  13. Jul 16, 2025 Subcommittee Hearings Held · house
  14. Jul 9, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. · house
  15. Jul 2, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. · house
  16. Jul 2, 2025 Introduced in House

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

  • HR 4754 — Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • SRES 837 — A resolution designating the week of August 22 through August 30, 2026, as "National Park Week". (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 2767 — Gateway Partnership Act (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 4538 — Washington’s Trail—1753 National Historic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2026 (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 5254 — Gateway Partnership Act (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 1518 — Strengthening America’s Turning Point Act (shares 2 subjects)
  • HR 1550 — Strengthening America’s Turning Point Act (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 2102 — Ralph David Abernathy, Sr., National Historic Site Act (shares 2 subjects)

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • S 2896 — STARS Act · Introduced Sep 18, 2025 · Cong. 119 90%
  • HR 6603 — Our Parks Act · Introduced Dec 10, 2025 · Cong. 119 69%
  • HR 9282 — Encouraging Public Service in Our National Parks and Public Land Act · Introduced Jun 11, 2026 · Cong. 119 68%
  • S 3429 — Encouraging Public Service in Our National Parks and Public Land Act · Introduced Dec 10, 2025 · Cong. 119 65%
  • HR 7089 — PARK Act · Introduced Jan 15, 2026 · Cong. 119 64%
  • HRES 772 — Expressing support for "National Public Lands Day" and encouraging the people of the United States to visit public lands on this fee-free day and recognize their spiritual and cultural value, as well as their contribution to the economy of the United States. · Introduced Sep 26, 2025 · Cong. 119 64%

Text versions (4)
  • Referred in Senate · Dec 10, 2025
  • Engrossed in House · Dec 9, 2025
  • Reported in House · Sep 15, 2025
  • Introduced in House · Jul 2, 2025

Full text

AN ACT

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.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act” or the “STARS Act”.

SEC. 2. WAIVED FEES AT PUBLIC RECREATIONAL SITES IN HONOR OF AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY.

(a) In General.—In honor of the semiquincentennial of the United States of America—

(1) the Secretary of the Interior shall—

(A) designate September 17, 2026, as an entrance- fee free date on which admission is free to all visitors with respect to each National Park Service site that charges an entrance fee; and

(B) waive standard amenity recreation fees on September 17, 2026, for each visitor to each site managed by the Bureau of Land Management, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or Bureau of Reclamation that charges a standard amenity recreation fee; and

(2) the Secretary of Agriculture shall waive standard amenity recreation fees for September 17, 2026, for each visitor to each site managed by the Forest Service that charges a standard amenity recreation fee.

(b) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) Entrance fee.—The term “entrance fee” has the meaning given the term in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801).

(2) Standard amenity recreation fee.—The term “standard amenity recreation fee” has the meaning given the term in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801).

Passed the House of Representatives December 9, 2025.

Attest:

Clerk. 119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4285

AN ACT

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.

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