I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 177 
To amend the Act of December 19, 1913 (38 Stat. 242), to expand access 
to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas for rec-
reational purposes, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2025 
Mr. MCCLINTOCK (for himself, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. LAMALFA, and Mr. 
VALADAO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Act of December 19, 1913 (38 Stat. 242), 
to expand access to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and 
Lake Eleanor Basin areas for recreational purposes, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Yosemite National 
Park Equal Access and Fairness Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF ACCESS TO HETCH HETCHY RES-
ERVOIR AND LAKE ELEANOR BASIN AREAS 
FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Act of December 19, 1913 
(38 Stat. 242), is amended— 
(1) in section 7— 
(A) in the first sentence— 
(i) by striking ‘‘$30,000’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘$2,000,000’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘and adjusted annu-
ally to reflect increases in the Consumer 
Price Index for All Urban Consumers’’ 
after ‘‘July of each year’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘The grantee may not re-
coup said sums from wholesale water or power 
customers of the grantee.’’ after the first sen-
tence; and 
(C) in the second sentence, by inserting 
‘‘and wildfire mitigation activities’’ after ‘‘other 
improvements’’; and 
(2) by inserting after section 11 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 12. RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior, 
acting through the Director of the National Park Service 
(in this section referred to as the ‘Secretary’), shall admin-
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ister the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin 
areas— 
‘‘(1) for public recreation, benefit, and use; 
‘‘(2) to the extent practicable, in a manner that 
will preserve, develop, and enhance the public recre-
ation capacity of each such area; and 
‘‘(3) in a manner that will preserve the features 
of each such area that are scenic, historic, scientific, 
or otherwise important. 
‘‘(b) RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.—Subject to such 
limitations, conditions, and regulations as the Secretary 
determines necessary, the following activities shall be al-
lowed within the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Elea-
nor Basin areas for recreational purposes if such activities 
are not inconsistent with the designated primary or rec-
reational use of each such area: 
‘‘(1) Swimming. 
‘‘(2) Use of non-motorized watercraft. 
‘‘(3) Camping in and around each such area if 
such camping is not below the respective ordinary 
high-water marks of each such area. 
‘‘(4) Picnicking in and around each such area. 
‘‘(5) Other recreational activities the Secretary 
determines appropriate. 
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‘‘(6) Use by motorized and non-motorized vehi-
cles of roads required to access each such area to 
conduct activities described in this subsection if such 
use has no negative effect on the operation or main-
tenance of any facility associated with a dam within 
each such area.’’. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Inte-
rior, acting through the Director of the National Park 
Service, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report that includes the following: 
(1) An analysis of whether the original intent in 
the Act of December 19, 1913 (38 Stat. 242), re-
garding access to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and 
Lake Eleanor Basin areas for recreational purposes 
has been followed since such areas were created. 
(2) An analysis of how revenue collection and 
the allocation of funds related to the administration 
of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor 
Basin areas can be carried out to best provide equi-
table access to such areas for recreational purposes 
by the public, including consideration of— 
(A) maintenance and support costs of such 
areas, including— 
(i) trail maintenance; 
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(ii) road improvements; and 
(iii) wildfire prevention and suppres-
sion; and 
(B) ways to mitigate such costs, includ-
ing— 
(i) adjusting the prices charged for 
water and power generated by the Hetch 
Hetchy Water and Power System created 
by the Act of December 19, 1913 (38 Stat. 
242); 
(ii) treating the City of San Francisco 
as a concessioner; and 
(iii) adding to the annual rental fee 
charged to the City of San Francisco by 
section 7 of the Act of December 19, 1913 
(38 Stat. 242), the annual monetary value 
of the benefits that would be lost if such 
areas had not been created, including con-
sideration of— 
(I) recreational activities; and 
(II) flood control. 
Æ 
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