I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4236 
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 6, 2019 
Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself, Mr. COHEN, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. HAALAND, Mr. 
TONKO, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, 
Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. CONNOLLY, and Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Nat-
ural 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 
NPS.—Each regional director concerned shall establish in 
such unit of the National Park System a program for recy-
cling 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 posses-
sory 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
NPS
PREVIOUSLY
ELIMINATED 
SALE
OF
WATER
IN
DISPOSABLE
PLASTIC
BOT-
TLES.—With respect to a unit of the National Park 
System that does not offer for sale water in dispos-
able 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 enact-
ment of this Act, submits to the regional director of 
such unit an evaluation that analyzes and addresses 
the factors listed in subparagraphs (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 NPS.—Each 
regional director concerned shall, to the extent possible, 
implement the program for recycling and reduction of dis-
posable plastic bottles established under subsection (a) in 
a manner that is consistent throughout such unit of the 
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