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To ensure that the National Park Service is fully staffed, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior and National Park Service to ensure that National Park System units are fully staffed to provide visitor safety and enjoyment and protect natural and cultural resources, using previously appropriated funds. The bill requires the National Park Service to fill all maintenance staff positions and reinstate any employees who were involuntarily removed or terminated between January 20, 2025, and February 25, 2025. The bill also authorizes the National Park Service to continue carrying out projects funded under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, Great American Outdoors Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
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)
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ)
7 cosponsors
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI)
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ)
- Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO)
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH)
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI)
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN)
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD)
Actions (2)
- Mar 11, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. · senate
- Mar 11, 2025 Introduced in Senate
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).
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.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 11 (legislative day, March 10), 2025
Mr. Kelly (for himself, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Gallego, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Van Hollen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
A BILL
To ensure that the National Park Service is fully staffed, and for other purposes.
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 “Protect our Parks Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior.
(2) Service.—The term “Service” means the National Park Service.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STAFFING AND PERSONNEL.
As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, using funds previously appropriated to the Secretary for such purposes, the Secretary shall—
(1) take such actions as are necessary—
(A) to ensure that the units of the National Park System are fully staffed to ensure visitor safety and enjoyment and natural and cultural resource protection at the units of the National Park System; and
(B) to ensure that all maintenance staff positions at the Service are filled; and
(2) reinstate any individuals who were involuntarily removed or otherwise terminated from employment with the Service during the period beginning on January 20, 2025, and ending on February 25, 2025.
SEC. 4. CONTINUATION OF AUTHORIZED NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PROJECTS.
The Secretary shall have the authority to continue to carry out any Service project for which funds are authorized or appropriated under—
(1) the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801 et seq.);
(2) the Great American Outdoors Act (Public Law 116-152; 134 Stat. 682);
(3) the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58; 135 Stat. 429); or
(4) Public Law 117-169 (commonly known as the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022”) (136 Stat. 1818). <all>
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