Title: Reducing Waste in National Parks Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Reducing Waste in National Parks Act
This bill directs the National Park Service to establish a program for the National Park System to reduce disposable plastic products and, if applicable, eliminate the sale and distribution of disposable plastic products.
Each regional office of the National Park Service must eliminate the sale of water in disposable plastic products and the sale and distribution of other disposable plastic products after consideration of several specified factors (e.g., the costs and benefits to overall operations).
Each regional office must develop a proactive visitor education strategy to address visitor expectations of water availability and explain the rationale for the program and its implementation.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2960 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2960

 To encourage reduction of disposable plastic products in units of the 
             National Park System, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 7, 2021

Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. Heinrich) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To encourage reduction of disposable plastic products in units of the 
             National Park System, 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 ``Reducing Waste in National Parks 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DISPOSABLE PLASTIC PRODUCTS REDUCTION IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL 
              PARK SYSTEM.

    (a) Program for Reduction of Disposable Plastic Products in Units 
of the NPS.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall establish, for the National Park System a 
program for reduction of disposable plastic products and, if 
applicable, elimination of the sale and distribution of disposable 
plastic products under subsection (b). Each regional director shall 
implement the plan for park units in their region.
    (b) Elimination of Sale and Distribution of Disposable Plastic 
Products.--
            (1) In general.--Each regional director concerned shall 
        eliminate the sale of water in disposable plastic products and 
        the sale and distribution of other disposable plastic products 
        to the greatest extent feasible in the relevant unit of the 
        National Park System after consideration of the following 
        factors, when applicable, with respect to the relevant 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 respect to 
                concessioners, including considerations 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 bisphenol A-free 
                reusable containers.
                    (G) The effect on concessioner and cooperation 
                association sales revenue.
                    (H) The availability of water within concession 
                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) 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 potential exposure to 
                disease.
                    (M) Any input from concessioners and cooperating 
                associations within the relevant unit.
            (2) Units of nps previously eliminated sale of water in 
        disposable plastic products.--With respect to a unit of the 
        National Park System that did not offer for sale water in 
        disposable plastic products before the date of the enactment of 
        this Act, the applicable superintendent of the relevant unit 
        may continue to not offer for sale water in disposable plastic 
        bottles.
    (c) Proactive Visitor Education Strategy.--Each regional director 
concerned shall develop for the relevant unit of the National Park 
System a proactive visitor education strategy to address visitor 
expectations of water availability and explain the rationale for the 
program and its implementation in the relevant unit.
    (d) Continuity Within Unit of the NPS.--Each regional director 
concerned shall, to the extent possible, implement the program in a 
manner that is consistent throughout the relevant unit of the National 
Park System, including incorporation of such program into any agreement 
with an organization operating within the relevant unit, including a 
concessioner operating plan and cooperating association scope of sales.
    (e) Biennial Evaluation.--Each regional director concerned shall, 
not less than once every 2 years--
            (1) conduct an evaluation of the program for the relevant 
        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 products sold 
                in disposable plastic products;
                    (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 the evaluation to the Director and the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
    (f) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the 
        National Park Service;
            (2) the term ``disposable plastic products'' includes--
                    (A) disposable plastic beverage bottles;
                    (B) carryout bags made from film plastic;
                    (C) plastic food ware, including plastic food ware 
                products marketed as compostable or biodegradable; and
                    (D) expanded polystyrene products;
            (3) the term ``program'' means the program for recycling 
        and reduction of disposable plastic products established under 
        subsection (a); and
            (4) the term ``regional 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 the 
        relevant unit is located, working in coordination with the 
        superintendent of such unit.
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