I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6342 

To promote and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities for members of 

the Armed Forces and veterans on Federal recreational lands and waters. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 9, 2023 

Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia (for herself and Mr. PETERS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 

and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Veterans’ Affairs, 

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 

committee concerned 

A BILL 

To promote and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities 

for members of the Armed Forces and veterans on Federal recreational lands and waters. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military and Veterans 

5 in Parks Act’’ or the ‘‘MVP Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ACCESSIBLE TRAILS AND RECREATION OPPORTU2 NITIES FOR MILITARY SERVICEMEMBERS 

3 AND VETERANS. 

4 (a) ACCESSIBLE RECREATION INVENTORY.— 

5 (1) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 5 years after 

6 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

7 concerned shall— 

8 (A) carry out a comprehensive assessment 

9 of outdoor recreation facilities on Federal rec10 reational lands and waters under the jurisdic11 tion of the respective Secretary concerned to de12 termine the accessibility of such outdoor recre13 ation facilities, consistent with the Architectural 

14 Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.), 

15 including— 

16 (i) camp shelters, camping facilities, 

17 and camping units; 

18 (ii) boat launch ramps; 

19 (iii) hunting, fishing, shooting, or 

20 archery ranges or locations; 

21 (iv) outdoor constructed features; 

22 (v) picnic facilities and picnic units; 

23 and 

24 (vi) any other outdoor recreation fa25 cilities, as determined by the Secretary 

26 concerned; and 


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1 (B) make information about such opportu2 nities available (including through the use of 

3 prominently displayed links) on public websites 

4 of— 

5 (i) each of the Federal land manage6 ment agencies; and 

7 (ii) each relevant unit and subunit of 

8 the Federal land management agencies. 

9 (2) INCLUSION OF CURRENT ASSESSMENTS.— 

10 As part of the comprehensive assessment required 

11 under paragraph (1)(A), to the extent practicable, 

12 the Secretary concerned may rely on assessments 

13 completed or data gathered prior to the date of en14 actment of this Act. 

15 (3) PUBLIC INFORMATION.—Not later than 7 

16 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

17 Secretary concerned shall identify opportunities to 

18 create, update, or replace signage and other publicly 

19 available information, including web page informa20 tion, related to accessibility and consistent with the 

21 Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 

22 et seq.) at outdoor recreation facilities covered by 

23 the assessment required under paragraph (1)(A). 

24 (b) TRAIL INVENTORY.— 


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1 (1) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 7 years after 

2 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary con3 cerned shall— 

4 (A) conduct a comprehensive assessment of 

5 trails on Federal recreational lands and waters 

6 under the jurisdiction of the respective Sec7 retary concerned, including measuring each 

8 trail’s— 

9 (i) surface; 

10 (ii) clear tread width; 

11 (iii) passing spaces; 

12 (iv) size; 

13 (v) tread obstacles; 

14 (vi) openings; 

15 (vii) slopes, including cross slope; 

16 (viii) maximum running slope and 

17 segment length; 

18 (ix) resting intervals; 

19 (x) length; 

20 (xi) width; 

21 (xii) turning space; 

22 (xiii) protruding objects; and 

23 (xiv) trailhead signs; and 


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1 (B) make information about such trails 

2 available (including through the use of promi3 nently displayed links) on public websites of— 

4 (i) each of the Federal land manage5 ment agencies; and 

6 (ii) each relevant unit and subunit of 

7 the Federal land management agencies. 

8 (2) INCLUSION OF CURRENT ASSESSMENTS.— 

9 As part of the comprehensive assessment required 

10 under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary concerned 

11 may, to the extent practicable, rely on assessments 

12 completed or data gathered prior to the date of en13 actment of this Act. 

14 (3) PUBLIC INFORMATION.—Not later than 7 

15 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

16 Secretary concerned shall identify opportunities to 

17 replace signage and other publicly available informa18 tion, including webpage information, related to such 

19 trails and consistent with the Architectural Barriers 

20 Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.) at trails cov21 ered by the assessment required under paragraph 

22 (1)(A). 

23 (4) PRIORITIZATION.—The Secretary concerned 

24 shall consult with stakeholders, including veterans 

25 organizations and organizations with expertise or exVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:57 Nov 21, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6342.IH H6342

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1 perience providing outdoor recreation opportunities 

2 to individuals with disabilities, in selecting priority 

3 trails to measure under paragraph (1)(A). 

4 (5) ASSISTIVE EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATION.—In 

5 publishing information about each trail under this 

6 subsection, the Secretary concerned shall make pub7 lic information about trails that do not meet the Ar8 chitectural Barriers Act accessibility guidelines but 

9 could otherwise provide outdoor recreation opportu10 nities to individuals with disabilities through the use 

11 of certain assistive equipment. 

12 (c) TRAIL PILOT PROGRAM.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 

14 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary con15 cerned shall carry out a pilot program to enter into 

16 partnerships with eligible entities to— 

17 (A) measure trails as part of the assess18 ment required under subsection (b); 

19 (B) develop accessible trails under sub20 section (d); and 

21 (C) make minor modifications to existing 

22 trails to enhance recreational experiences for in23 dividuals with disabilities using assistive tech24 nology— 


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1 (i) in compliance with all applicable 

2 land use and management plans of the 

3 Federal recreational lands and waters on 

4 which the accessible trail is located; and 

5 (ii) in consultation with stakeholders, 

6 including veterans organizations and orga7 nizations with expertise or experience pro8 viding outdoor recreation opportunities to 

9 individuals with disabilities. 

10 (2) LOCATIONS.— 

11 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary con12 cerned shall select no fewer than 5 units or 

13 subunits under the jurisdiction of the respective 

14 Secretary concerned to carry out the pilot pro15 gram established under subparagraph (1). 

16 (B) SPECIAL RULE OF CONSTRUCTION FOR

17 THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.—In se18 lecting the locations of the pilot programs, the 

19 Secretary of the Interior shall ensure that at 

20 least one pilot program is carried out in a unit 

21 managed by the— 

22 (i) National Park Service; 

23 (ii) Bureau of Land Management; and 

24 (iii) United States Fish and Wildlife 

25 Service. 


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1 (3) SUNSET.—The pilot program established 

2 under this subsection shall terminate on the date 

3 that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this 

4 Act. 

5 (d) ACCESSIBLE TRAILS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

7 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

8 concerned shall select a location or locations to de9 velop at least 3 new accessible trails— 

10 (A) on National Forest System lands in 

11 each region of the Forest Service; 

12 (B) on land managed by the National Park 

13 Service in each region of the National Park 

14 Service; 

15 (C) on land managed by the Bureau of 

16 Land Management in each region of the Bu17 reau of Land Management; and 

18 (D) on land managed by the United States 

19 Fish and Wildlife Service in each region of the 

20 United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 

21 (2) DEVELOPMENT.—In developing an acces22 sible trail under paragraph (1), the Secretary con23 cerned— 

24 (A) may— 

25 (i) create a new accessible trail; 


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1 (ii) modify an existing trail into an 

2 accessible trail; or 

3 (iii) create an accessible trail from a 

4 combination of new and existing trails; and 

5 (B) shall— 

6 (i) consult with stakeholders with re7 spect to the feasibility and resources nec8 essary for completing the accessible trail; 

9 (ii) ensure the accessible trail complies 

10 with the Architectural Barriers Act of 

11 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.); and 

12 (iii) to the extent practicable, ensure 

13 that outdoor constructed features sup14 porting the accessible trail, including park15 ing spaces and restroom facilities, meet the 

16 requirements of the Architectural Barriers 

17 Act of 1968. 

18 (3) COMPLETION.—Not later than 7 years after 

19 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

20 concerned, in coordination with stakeholders con21 sulted with under paragraph (2)(B), shall complete 

22 each accessible trail developed under paragraph (1). 

23 (4) MAPS, SIGNAGE, AND PROMOTIONAL MATE24 RIALS.—For each accessible trail developed under 

25 paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall— 


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1 (A) publish and distribute maps and install 

2 signage, consistent with Architectural Barriers 

3 Act accessibility guidelines; and 

4 (B) coordinate with stakeholders to lever5 age any non-Federal resources necessary for the 

6 development, stewardship, completion, or pro7 motion of the accessible trail. 

8 (5) CONFLICT AVOIDANCE WITH OTHER

9 USES.—In developing each accessible trail under 

10 paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall ensure 

11 that the accessible trail— 

12 (A) minimizes conflict with— 

13 (i) the uses in effect before the date 

14 of the enactment of this Act with respect 

15 to any trail or road that is part of that ac16 cessible trail; 

17 (ii) multiple-use areas where biking, 

18 hiking, horseback riding, off-highway vehi19 cle recreation, or use by pack and saddle 

20 stock are existing uses on the date of the 

21 enactment of this Act; or 

22 (iii) the purposes for which any trail 

23 is established under the National Trails 

24 System Act (16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.); and 


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1 (B) complies with all applicable land use 

2 and management plans of the Federal rec3 reational lands and waters on which the acces4 sible trail is located. 

5 (6) REPORTS.— 

6 (A) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than 3 

7 years after the date of the enactment of this 

8 Act, the Secretary concerned, in partnership 

9 with stakeholders and other interested organiza10 tions, shall prepare and publish an interim re11 port that lists the accessible trails developed 

12 under this subsection during the previous 3 

13 years. 

14 (B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 7 

15 years after the date of the enactment of this 

16 Act, the Secretary concerned, in partnership 

17 with stakeholders and other interested organiza18 tions, shall prepare and publish a final report 

19 that lists the accessible trails developed under 

20 this subsection. 

21 (e) ACCESSIBLE RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

23 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

24 concerned shall select a location to develop at least 

25 2 new accessible recreation opportunities— 


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1 (A) on National Forest System lands in 

2 each region of the Forest Service; 

3 (B) on land managed by the National Park 

4 Service in each region of the National Park 

5 Service; 

6 (C) on land managed by the Bureau of 

7 Land Management in each region of the Bu8 reau of Land Management; and 

9 (D) on land managed by the United States 

10 Fish and Wildlife Service in each region of the 

11 United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 

12 (2) DEVELOPMENT.—In developing an acces13 sible recreation opportunity under paragraph (1), 

14 the Secretary concerned— 

15 (A) may— 

16 (i) create a new accessible recreation 

17 opportunity; or 

18 (ii) modify an existing recreation op19 portunity into an accessible recreation op20 portunity; and 

21 (B) shall— 

22 (i) consult with stakeholders with re23 spect to the feasibility and resources nec24 essary for completing the accessible recre25 ation opportunity; 


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1 (ii) ensure the accessible recreation 

2 opportunity complies with the Architec3 tural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 

4 4151 et seq.); and 

5 (iii) to the extent practicable, ensure 

6 that outdoor constructed features sup7 porting the accessible recreation oppor8 tunity, including parking spaces and rest9 room facilities, meet the requirements of 

10 the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. 

11 (3) ACCESSIBLE RECREATION OPPORTUNI12 TIES.—The accessible recreation opportunities devel13 oped under paragraph (1) may include improving ac14 cessibility or access to— 

15 (A) camp shelters, camping facilities, and 

16 camping units; 

17 (B) hunting, fishing, shooting, or archery 

18 ranges or locations; 

19 (C) snow activities, including skiing and 

20 snowboarding; 

21 (D) water activities, including kayaking, 

22 paddling, canoeing, and boat launch ramps; 

23 (E) rock climbing; 

24 (F) biking; 

25 (G) off-highway vehicle recreation; 


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1 (H) picnic facilities and picnic units; 

2 (I) outdoor constructed features; and 

3 (J) any other new or existing recreation 

4 opportunities identified in consultation with 

5 stakeholders under paragraph (2)(B) and con6 sistent with the applicable land management 

7 plan. 

8 (4) COMPLETION.—Not later than 7 years after 

9 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

10 concerned, in coordination with stakeholders con11 sulted with under paragraph (2), shall complete each 

12 accessible recreation opportunity developed under 

13 paragraph (1). 

14 (5) MAPS, SIGNAGE, AND PROMOTIONAL MATE15 RIALS.—For each accessible recreation opportunity 

16 developed under paragraph (1), the Secretary con17 cerned shall— 

18 (A) publish and distribute maps and install 

19 signage, consistent with Architectural Barriers 

20 Act accessibility guidelines; and 

21 (B) coordinate with stakeholders to lever22 age any non-Federal resources necessary for the 

23 development, stewardship, completion, or pro24 motion of the accessible trail. 


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1 (6) CONFLICT AVOIDANCE WITH OTHER

2 USES.—In developing each accessible recreation op3 portunity under paragraph (1), the Secretary con4 cerned shall ensure that the accessible recreation op5 portunity— 

6 (A) minimizes conflict with— 

7 (i) the uses in effect before the date 

8 of the enactment of this Act with respect 

9 to any Federal recreational lands and 

10 waters on which the accessible recreation 

11 opportunity is located; or 

12 (ii) multiple-use areas in existence on 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act; and 

14 (B) complies with all applicable land use 

15 and management plans of the Federal rec16 reational lands and waters on which the acces17 sible recreational opportunity is located. 

18 (7) REPORTS.— 

19 (A) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than 3 

20 years after the date of the enactment of this 

21 Act, the Secretary concerned, in partnership 

22 with stakeholders and other interested organiza23 tions, shall prepare and publish an interim re24 port that lists the accessible trails developed 


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1 under this subsection during the previous 3 

2 years. 

3 (B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 7 

4 years after the date of the enactment of this 

5 Act, the Secretary concerned, in partnership 

6 with stakeholders and other interested organiza7 tions, shall prepare and publish a final report 

8 that lists the accessible trails developed under 

9 this subsection. 

10 (f) ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY.—In carrying out this 

11 section, the Secretary concerned may enter into partner12 ships, contracts, or agreements with other Federal, State, 

13 Tribal, local, or private entities, including existing outfit14 ting and guiding services, to make assistive technology 

15 available on Federal recreational lands and waters. 

16 (g) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in the Act shall be 

17 construed to create any conflicting standards with the Ar18 chitectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.). 

19 SEC. 3. PROMOTION OF OUTDOOR RECREATION FOR MILI20 TARY SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS. 

21 The Secretary concerned, in coordination with the 

22 Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of De23 fense, shall develop educational and public awareness ma24 terials to disseminate to members of the Armed Forces 


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1 and veterans, including through Transition Assistance 

2 Program classes, on— 

3 (1) opportunities for members of the Armed 

4 Forces and veterans to access Federal recreational 

5 lands and waters free of charge under section 805 

6 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act 

7 (16 U.S.C. 6804); 

8 (2) the availability and location of accessible 

9 trails, including new accessible trails developed and 

10 completed under section 2(a); 

11 (3) the availability and location of accessible 

12 recreation opportunities, including new accessible 

13 recreation opportunities developed and completed 

14 under section 2(b); 

15 (4) assistive technology assistance pursuant to 

16 section 1151(c) of title 38, United States Code; 

17 (5) outdoor-related volunteer and wellness pro18 grams; 

19 (6) the benefits of outdoor recreation for phys20 ical and mental health; 

21 (7) resources to access guided outdoor trips and 

22 other outdoor programs connected to the Depart23 ment of Defense, the Department of Veterans Af24 fairs, the Department of the Interior, or the Depart25 ment of Agriculture; and 


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1 (8) programs and jobs focused on continuing 

2 national service such as Public Land Corps, 

3 AmeriCorps, and conservation corps programs. 

4 SEC. 4. MILITARY VETERANS OUTDOOR RECREATION LIAI5 SONS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries and the Secretary 

7 of Veterans Affairs shall each establish within their De8 partments the position of Military Veterans Outdoor 

9 Recreation Liaison. 

10 (b) DUTIES.—The Military Veterans Outdoor Recre11 ation Liaison shall— 

12 (1) coordinate the implementation of this Act; 

13 (2) implement recommendations identified by 

14 the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans 

15 established under section 203 of the Veterans Com16 prehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treat17 ment Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–214), including 

18 recommendations related to— 

19 (A) identifying new opportunities to for20 malize coordination between the Department of 

21 Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, 

22 Department of the Interior, and partner organi23 zations regarding the use of Federal rec24 reational lands and waters for facilitating 

25 health and wellness for veterans; 


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1 (B) addressing identified barriers that 

2 exist to providing veterans with opportunities to 

3 augment the delivery of services for health and 

4 wellness through the use of outdoor recreation 

5 on Federal recreational lands and waters; and 

6 (C) facilitating the use of Federal rec7 reational lands and waters for promoting 

8 wellness and facilitating the delivery of health 

9 care and therapeutic interventions for veterans; 

10 (3) coordinate with Military Veterans Outdoor 

11 Recreation Liaisons at other Federal agencies and 

12 veterans organizations; and 

13 (4) promote outdoor recreation experiences for 

14 veterans on Federal recreational lands and waters 

15 through new and innovative approaches. 

16 SEC. 5. PARTNERSHIPS TO PROMOTE MILITARY AND VET17 ERAN RECREATION. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary concerned shall 

19 seek to enter into partnerships or agreements with State, 

20 Tribal, local, or private entities with expertise in outdoor 

21 recreation, volunteer, accessibility, and health and wellness 

22 programs for members of the Armed Forces or veterans. 

23 (b) PARTNERSHIPS.—As part of a partnership or 

24 agreement entered into under subsection (a), the Sec25 retary concerned may host events on Federal recreational 


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1 lands and waters designed to promote outdoor recreation 

2 among members of the Armed Forces and veterans. 

3 (c) FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 

4 Under a partnership or agreement entered into pursuant 

5 to subsection (a), the Secretary concerned may provide fi6 nancial or technical assistance to the entity with which 

7 the respective Secretary concerned has entered into the 

8 partnership or agreement to assist with— 

9 (1) the planning, development, and execution of 

10 events, activities, or programs designed to promote 

11 outdoor recreation for members of the Armed Forces 

12 or veterans; or 

13 (2) the acquisition of assistive technology to fa14 cilitate improved outdoor recreation opportunities for 

15 members of the Armed Forces or veterans. 

16 SEC. 6. NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR MILITARY AND VETERAN 

17 RECREATION. 

18 (a) STRATEGY.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

19 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries, acting joint20 ly, shall develop and make public a strategy to increase 

21 visits to Federal recreational lands and waters by mem22 bers of the Armed Forces, veterans, and Gold Star Family 

23 members. 

24 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—A strategy developed under 

25 subsection (a)— 


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1 (1) shall— 

2 (A) establish objectives and quantifiable 

3 targets for increasing visits to Federal rec4 reational lands and waters by members of the 

5 Armed Forces, veterans, and Gold Star Family 

6 members; 

7 (B) include an opportunity for public no8 tice and comment; 

9 (C) emphasize increased recreation oppor10 tunities on Federal recreational lands and 

11 waters for members of the Armed Forces, vet12 erans, and Gold Star Family members; and 

13 (D) provide the anticipated costs to achieve 

14 the objectives and meet the targets established 

15 under subparagraph (B); and 

16 (2) shall not establish any preference between 

17 similar recreation facilitated by noncommercial or 

18 commercial entities. 

19 (c) UPDATE TO STRATEGY.—Not later than 5 years 

20 after the date of the publication of the strategy required 

21 under subsection (a), and every 5 years thereafter, the 

22 Secretaries shall update the strategy and make public the 

23 update. 


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1 SEC. 7. RECREATION RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES. 

2 Section 804(d)(5) of the Federal Lands Recreation 

3 Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6803(d)(5)), is amended— 

4 (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘11’’ and 

5 inserting ‘‘12’’; and 

6 (2) in subparagraph (D)(ii)— 

7 (A) by striking ‘‘Three’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘Four’’; and 

9 (B) after subclause (III), by inserting the 

10 following: 

11 ‘‘(IV) Veterans organizations, as 

12 such term is defined in section 9 of 

13 the Military and Veterans in Parks 

14 Act.’’. 

15 SEC. 8. CAREER AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR 

16 VETERANS. 

17 (a) VETERAN HIRING.—The Secretary concerned is 

18 strongly encouraged to hire veterans in all positions re19 lated to the management of Federal recreational lands and 

20 waters. 

21 (b) PILOT PROGRAM.— 

22 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the In23 terior, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary 

24 of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training 

25 and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall establish 

26 a pilot program under which veterans are employed 


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1 by the Federal Government in positions that relate 

2 to the conservation and resource management activi3 ties of the Department of the Interior. 

4 (2) POSITIONS.—The Secretary of the Interior 

5 shall— 

6 (A) identify vacant positions in the De7 partment of the Interior that are appropriate to 

8 fill using the pilot program; and 

9 (B) to the extent practicable, fill such posi10 tions using the pilot program. 

11 (3) APPLICATION OF CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—A 

12 veteran employed under the pilot program shall be 

13 treated as an employee as defined by section 2105 

14 of title 5, United States Code. 

15 (4) BRIEFINGS AND REPORT.— 

16 (A) INITIAL BRIEFING.—Not later than 60 

17 days after the date of the enactment of this 

18 Act, the Secretary of the Interior and the As19 sistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Em20 ployment and Training shall jointly provide to 

21 the appropriate congressional committees a 

22 briefing on the pilot program under this sub23 section, which shall include— 


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1 (i) a description of how the pilot pro2 gram will be carried out in a manner to re3 duce the unemployment of veterans; and 

4 (ii) any recommendations for legisla5 tive actions to improve the pilot program. 

6 (B) IMPLEMENTATION BRIEFING.—Not 

7 later than 1 year after the date on which the 

8 pilot program under subsection (a) commences, 

9 the Secretary of the Interior and the Assistant 

10 Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment 

11 and Training shall jointly provide to the appro12 priate congressional committees a briefing on 

13 the implementation of the pilot program. 

14 (C) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 30 

15 days after the date on which the pilot program 

16 under subsection (a) is completed, the Secretary 

17 of the Interior and the Assistant Secretary of 

18 Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training 

19 shall jointly submit to the appropriate congres20 sional committees a report on the pilot program 

21 that includes the following: 

22 (i) The number of veterans who ap23 plied to participate in the pilot program. 

24 (ii) The number of such veterans em25 ployed under the pilot program. 


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1 (iii) The number of veterans identified 

2 in clause (ii) who transitioned to full-time 

3 positions with the Federal Government 

4 after participating in the pilot program. 

5 (iv) Any other information the Sec6 retary and the Assistant Secretary deter7 mine appropriate with respect to meas8 uring the effectiveness of the pilot pro9 gram. 

10 (5) DURATION.—The authority to carry out the 

11 pilot program under this subsection shall terminate 

12 on the date that is 2 years after the date on which 

13 the pilot program commences. 

14 (c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE15 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congres16 sional committees’’ means— 

17 (1) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the 

18 Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 

19 Representatives; and 

20 (2) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the 

21 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 

22 Senate. 

23 (d) OUTDOOR RECREATION PROGRAM ATTEND24 ANCE.—Each Secretary of a military department is en25 couraged to allow members of the Armed Forces on active 


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1 duty status to participate in programs related to environ2 mental stewardship or guided outdoor recreation. 

3 SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) ACCESSIBLE TRAIL.—The term ‘‘accessible 

6 trail’’ means a trail that meets the requirements for 

7 a trail under the Architectural Barriers Act accessi8 bility guidelines. 

9 (2) ARCHITECTURAL BARRIERS ACT ACCESSI10 BILITY GUIDELINES.—The term ‘‘Architectural Bar11 riers Act accessibility guidelines’’ means the accessi12 bility guidelines set forth in appendices C and D to 

13 part 1191 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations 

14 (or successor regulations). 

15 (3) ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY.—The term ‘‘as16 sistive technology’’ means any item, piece of equip17 ment, or product system, whether acquired commer18 cially, modified, or customized, that is used to in19 crease, maintain, or improve functional capabilities 

20 of individuals with disabilities, particularly with par21 ticipating in outdoor recreation activities. 

22 (4) FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES.— 

23 The term ‘‘Federal land management agencies’’ 

24 means the National Park Service, the Bureau of 


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1 Land Management, the United States Fish and 

2 Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service. 

3 (5) FEDERAL RECREATIONAL LANDS AND

4 WATERS.—The term ‘‘Federal recreational lands and 

5 waters’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘Federal 

6 recreational lands and waters’’ in section 802(5) of 

7 the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 

8 U.S.C. 6801(5)). 

9 (6) GOLD STAR FAMILY MEMBER.—The term 

10 ‘‘Gold Star Family member’’ means an individual 

11 described in section 3.3 of Department of Defense 

12 Instruction 1348.36. 

13 (7) OUTDOOR CONSTRUCTED FEATURE.—The 

14 term ‘‘outdoor constructed feature’’ has the meaning 

15 given such term in Appendix C to part 1191 of title 

16 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regu17 lations). 

18 (8) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 

19 means the Secretary of the Interior and the Sec20 retary of Agriculture. 

21 (9) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec22 retary concerned’’ means— 

23 (A) the Secretary of the Interior, with re24 spect to lands under the jurisdiction of the Sec25 retary; and 


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•HR 6342 IH

1 (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re2 spect to National Forest System lands. 

3 (10) VETERANS ORGANIZATION.—The term 

4 ‘‘veterans organization’’ means a service provider 

5 with outdoor recreation experience that serves mem6 bers of the Armed Forces, veterans, or Gold Star 

7 Family members. 

Æ 


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