I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2650

To prohibit the study or implementation of any plan to privatize, divest, 

or transfer any part of the mission, function, or responsibility of the 

National Park Service. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 26, 2003

Mr. RAHALL (for himself, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. 

RODRIGUEZ, and Mr. HOYER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To prohibit the study or implementation of any plan to 

privatize, divest, or transfer any part of the mission, 

function, or responsibility of the National Park Service.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. PARK PROFESSIONALS PROTECTION. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Park Professionals Protection Act’’. 

6 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) The National Park System is recognized 

8 throughout the world as a model for the conserva-
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1 tion and enjoyment of natural, scenic, recreational, 

2 cultural, and historic resources. 

3 (2) The National Park System would never 

4 have achieved such status, nor could the system 

5 maintain such status, without the professionalism, 

6 dedication, and passion of the men and women of 

7 the National Park Service. 

8 (3) Current plans to privatize thousands of jobs 

9 within the National Park Service ignore the unique 

10 contributions made by the men and women of the 

11 National Park Service and threaten to undermine 

12 the entire National Park System. 

13 (4) Scarce park operations and maintenance re14 sources are being diverted to pay private consultants 

15 to study the current privatization scheme. According 

16 to the National Park Service, these studies cost ap17 proximately $3000 for each position proposed to be 

18 privatized. 

19 (5) Despite the millions of taxpayer dollars di20 verted to these studies, not a single report has been 

21 published documenting any cost savings to be gen22 erated by the privatization of park operations. 

23 (6) The current privatization scheme raises se24 rious questions regarding the ability of temporary 

25 workers, provided by the lowest bidder, to adequately 
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1 fulfill the responsibilities of professional National 

2 Park Service employees in the areas of conservation, 

3 interpretation, emergency fire and rescue, and home4 land security. 

5 (7) The current privatization scheme appears to 

6 affect minority employees disproportionately, threat7 ening to significantly reduce the number of minority 

8 employees within the National Park Service. 

9 (8) Pendency of the current privatization 

10 scheme is having detrimental impacts on the morale 

11 of current employees and is discouraging high qual12 ity candidates from applying for positions within the 

13 National Park Service. 

14 (c) PROHIBITION.—Notwithstanding any other provi15 sion of law, the Secretary is prohibited from studying or 

16 implementing any plan to privatize, divest, or transfer any 

17 part of what is, as of the date of the enactment of this 

18 section, the mission, function, or responsibility of the Na19 tional Park Service. 

20 (d) REALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—Notwithstanding 

21 any other provision of law, the Secretary shall withhold 

22 any funds currently dedicated to the activities prohibited 

23 under subsection (c) and shall reallocate those funds to 

24 the operations and maintenance accounts within the Na25 tional Park Service 
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1 (e) NO EFFECT ON CERTAIN PLANS.—Nothing in 

2 this section shall effect the authority, as of the date of 

3 the enactment of this section, of a National Park Service 

4 Superintendent to develop and implement concessions 

5 management plans and commercial services plans cov6 ering, in whole or in part, the area managed by that Su7 perintendent. 

8 (f) SECRETARY DEFINED.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ 

9 means the Secretary of the Interior and any person em10 ployed by the Secretary of the Interior in any capacity.

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