I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3768 
To encourage recycling and reduction of disposable plastic bottles in units 
of the National Park System, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 13, 2017 
Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself, Mr. ELLISON, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. 
CLEAVER, Mr. EVANS, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. LEE, Mr. PRICE of North Caro-
lina, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. TSONGAS, and Mr. 
KHANNA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To encourage recycling and reduction of disposable plastic 
bottles in units of the National Park System, 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 ‘‘Reducing Waste in 
National Parks Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DISPOSABLE PLASTIC BOTTLE RECYCLING AND RE-
DUCTION IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK 
SYSTEM. 
(a) PROGRAM FOR RECYCLING AND REDUCTION OF 
DISPOSABLE PLASTIC BOTTLES IN UNITS OF THE NA-
TIONAL PARK SYSTEM.—Each regional director concerned 
shall establish in such unit of the National Park System 
a program for recycling and reduction of disposable plastic 
bottles, including, if applicable, elimination of the sale of 
water in disposable plastic bottles under subsection (b). 
(b) ELIMINATION OF SALE OF WATER IN DISPOS-
ABLE PLASTIC BOTTLES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each regional director con-
cerned may eliminate the sale of water in disposable 
plastic bottles in such unit of the National Park Sys-
tem after consideration of the following factors with 
respect to such unit: 
(A) The costs and benefits to the overall 
operations. 
(B) The amount of waste that would be 
eliminated. 
(C) The infrastructure costs and funding 
sources for bottle refill stations. 
(D) Any contractual implications with re-
spect to concessioners, including considerations 
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of new leaseholder surrender interest or 
possessory interest. 
(E) The operational costs of bottle refill 
stations, including utilities and regular public 
health testing. 
(F) The cost and availability of BPA-free 
reusable containers. 
(G) The effect on concessioner and co-
operation association sales revenue. 
(H) The availability of water within con-
cession food service operations. 
(I) The ability to provide visitor education 
in the unit and online so that visitors may come 
prepared with their own water bottles. 
(J) Any input from the National Park 
Service Office of Public Health. 
(K) The feasibility of posting signs so that 
visitors can easily find bottle refill stations. 
(L) Safety considerations for visitors who 
may resort to not carrying enough water or 
drinking from surface water sources with poten-
tial exposure to disease. 
(M) Any input from concessioners and co-
operating associations within the unit. 
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(2) UNITS OF NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM THAT 
HAVE
PREVIOUSLY
ELIMINATED
SALE
WATER
IN 
DISPOSABLE PLASTIC BOTTLES.—With respect to a 
unit of the National Park System that does not offer 
for sale water in disposable plastic bottles on the 
date prior to the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the superintendent of such unit may continue to not 
offer for sale water in disposable plastic bottles if 
such superintendent, not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, submits to the 
regional director of such unit an evaluation that 
analyzes and addresses the factors listed in subpara-
graphs (A) through (M) of paragraph (1). 
(c) PROACTIVE VISITOR EDUCATION STRATEGY.— 
Each regional director concerned shall develop for such 
unit of the National Park System a proactive visitor edu-
cation strategy that addresses visitor expectations of water 
availability and explains the rationale for the program for 
recycling and reduction of disposable plastic bottles estab-
lished under subsection (a) and implemented in such unit. 
(d) CONTINUITY WITHIN UNIT OF THE NATIONAL 
PARK SYSTEM.—Each regional director concerned shall, 
to the extent possible, implement the program for recy-
cling and reduction of disposable plastic bottles established 
under subsection (a) in a manner that is consistent 
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throughout such unit of the National Park System, includ-
ing incorporation of such program into any agreement 
with an organization operating within the unit, including 
a concessioner operating plan and cooperating association 
scope of sales. 
(e) BI-ANNUAL EVALUATION.—Each regional direc-
tor concerned shall, not less than once every 2 years— 
(1) conduct an evaluation of the program for 
recycling and reduction of disposable plastic bottles 
established under subsection (a) for such unit of the 
National Park System, including— 
(A) public response to the program; 
(B) visitor satisfaction with the availability 
of water; 
(C) buying behavior with respect to prod-
ucts sold in disposable plastic bottles; 
(D) public safety including information on 
cases of dehydration or exposure to disease 
from drinking from surface water; and 
(E) disposable plastic bottle collection 
rates; and 
(2) submit such evaluation to the Director of 
the National Park Service and the Secretary of the 
Interior. 
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(f) DEFINITION
OF
REGIONAL
DIRECTOR
CON-
CERNED.—For the purposes of this section, the term ‘‘re-
gional director concerned’’ means, with respect to a unit 
of the National Park System, the regional director of the 
region of the National Park System in which such unit 
is located, working in coordination with the superintendent 
of such unit. 
Æ 
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