Environmental Justice in Recreation Permitting Act
Bill: H.R.3687 | Sponsor: Rep. Tlaib, Rashida (D-MI)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Environmental Justice in Recreation Permitting Act
This bill requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to complete an interagency report on the use of special recreation permits by recreation service providers serving environmental justice communities.
The bill defines an environmental justice community as a community with significant representation of communities of color, low-income communities, or tribal and indigenous communities, that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more adverse human health or environmental effects than other communities.
Interior and USDA shall

To require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
Agriculture to complete an interagency report on the effects of special 
recreation permits on environmental justice communities, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Environmental Justice in Recreation 
Permitting Act''.

SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY REPORT ON THE BENEFITS OF SPECIAL RECREATION 
              PERMITS TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Environmental justice community.--The term 
        ``environmental justice community'' means a community with 
        significant representation of communities of color, low-income 
        communities, or Tribal and indigenous communities, that 
        experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more 
        adverse human health or environmental effects than other 
        communities.
            (2) Federal land management agency; federal recreational 
        lands and waters; secretaries.--The terms ``Federal land 
        management agency'', ``Federal recreational lands and waters'', 
        and ``Secretaries'' have the meanings given the terms in 
        section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 
        U.S.C. 6801).
            (3) Recreation service provider.--The term ``recreation 
        service provider'' means an individual or entity that--
                    (A) provides outfitting, guiding, or other 
                recreation services; or
                    (B) conducts recreational or competitive events, 
                including incidental sales.
            (4) Special recreation permit.--The term ``special 
        recreation permit'' means a permit issued by a Federal land 
        management agency for specialized individual or group uses of 
        Federal recreational lands and waters, including--
                    (A) for outfitting, guiding, or other recreation 
                services;
                    (B) for recreation or competitive events, which may 
                include incidental sales;
                    (C) for the use of--
                            (i) a special area; or
                            (ii) an area in which use is allocated;
                    (D) for motorized recreational vehicle use in 
                compliance with an applicable travel management plan or 
                other regulation; and
                    (E) for a group activity or event.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretaries shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives a report that describes--
            (1) the estimated use of special recreation permits by 
        recreation service providers serving environmental justice 
        communities;
            (2) any national, regional, State, local, or site-specific 
        policies, including any policies required under the Federal 
        Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801 et seq.), that 
        facilitate public land access for recreation service providers 
        serving environmental justice communities;
            (3) any case studies that may provide illustrative examples 
        of the manner in which special recreation permits, 
        partnerships, or cooperative agreements are being effectively 
        used by land managers for the purpose of providing public land 
        access to recreation service providers serving environmental 
        justice communities;
            (4) any barriers to public land access for recreation 
        service providers serving environmental justice communities; 
        and
            (5) any recommendations for agency policy, or if necessary, 
        action by Congress, to encourage and simplify public land 
        access for recreation service providers serving environmental 
        justice communities.
    (c) Voluntary Participation by Recreation Service Providers.--For 
purposes of preparing the report under subsection (b), the 
Secretaries--
            (1) shall contact all existing or prospective recreation 
        service providers to request a voluntary estimate of the number 
        of user days used by or, in the case of a prospective 
        recreation service provider, expected to be used by, 
        individuals from environmental justice communities during the 
        period covered by the report;
            (2) shall request from recreation service providers and 
        interested members of the public any other information required 
        for the report; and
            (3) shall not use the participation of, or the provision of 
        information to the Secretaries by, a recreation service 
        provider under this subsection as a condition of a special 
        recreation permit.
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