Every Kid Outdoors Act

Bill: 115-s-1522
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
Introduced: 2017-07-10
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Child health

Elementary and secondary education

Forests, forestry, trees

Government information and archives

Outdoor recreation

Parks, recreation areas, trails

State and local government operations

User charges and fees
Latest action: action_date: 2017-07-19
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-417.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-07-10
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Every Kid Outdoors Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and the Army to establish the Every Kids Outdoors program to provide fourth graders free access to federal lands and waters to which the public has access. </p> <p>Such Departments shall issue such students annual passes, upon request, which shall allow free access to:</p> <ul> <li> a per-vehicle fee area for the student and any passengers accompanying the student in a private, noncommercial vehicle or for up to three adults accompanying the student on bicycles; or </li> <li> a per-person fee area for the student and up to three adults accompanying the student. </li> </ul> <p>In carrying out such program, such departments:</p> <ul> <li>may collaborate with state park systems that opt to implement a complementary Every Kid Outdoors State park pass,</li> <li>shall maintain a publicly available website that provides information about the program,</li> <li>may provide visitor services, and </li> <li>may support approved partners of the federal lands and waters by furnishing them with opportunities for participation in the program. </li> </ul>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1522 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 10, 2017 Mr. Heinrich (for himself and Mr. Alexander ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To establish an Every Kid Outdoors program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Every Kid Outdoors Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Federal land and waters The term Federal land and waters means any Federal land or body of water under the jurisdiction of any of the Secretaries to which the public has access. (2) Program The term program means the Every Kid Outdoors program established under section 3(a). (3) Secretaries The term Secretaries means— (A) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through— (i) the Director of the National Park Service; (ii) the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; (iii) the Director of the Bureau of Land Management; and (iv) the Commissioner of Reclamation; (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; (C) the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and (D) the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers of the Corps of Engineers. (4) Students The term students means a student in grade 4. 3. Every Kid Outdoors program (a) Establishment The Secretaries shall jointly establish a program, to be known as the Every Kid Outdoors program , to provide free access to Federal land and waters for students and accompanying individuals in accordance with this section. (b) Annual passes (1) In general On request of a student, the Secretaries shall issue a pass to the student, which shall allow access to Federal land and waters free of charge for the student and— (A) in the case of a per-vehicle fee area— (i) any passengers accompanying the student in a private, noncommercial vehicle; or (ii) not more than 3 adults accompanying the student on bicycles; or (B) in the case of a per-person fee area, not more than 3 adults accompanying the student. (2) Term A pass described in paragraph (1) shall be effective during the period beginning on September 1 and ending on August 30 of the following year. (3) Presence of student in grade four required A pass described in paragraph (1) shall be effective only if the student to which the pass was issued is present at the point of entry to the applicable Federal land or water. (c) Other activities In carrying out the program, the Secretaries— (1) may collaborate with State Park systems that opt to implement a complementary Every Kid Outdoors State park pass; (2) shall maintain a publicly available website with information about the program; (3) may provide visitor services for the program; and (4) may support approved partners of the Federal land and waters by providing the partners with opportunities to participate in the program. (d) Reports (1) In general The Secretaries shall jointly prepare a report each year describing— (A) the implementation of the program; (B) the number and geographical distribution of students who participated in the program; and (C) the number of passes described in subsection (b)(1) that were distributed. (2) Submission The Secretaries shall submit the report described in paragraph (1) to Congress.