Congress·In Committee·S. 2308

National Parks: Extra Fees for International Tourists

PATRIOT Parks Act

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

The bill would allow National Parks to charge international tourists a higher entrance fee than U.S. citizens. This extra money would be used to pay for park repairs, hire more staff, and improve services for everyone who visits.
International visitors are defined as people visiting the U.S. for business or vacation on temporary visas. This means most foreign tourists would pay a higher price than Americans to enter popular spots like Yellowstone, Yosemite, or the Grand Canyon.
Individual park managers would help set the extra fee amount. The goal is to raise as much money as possible for the park's budget while making sure the price isn't so high that it scares away foreign travelers.
Money from these extra fees would stay at the specific park where it was collected. If a tourist buys a yearly national pass, their extra fee would go into a national fund used to fix old buildings, roads, and trails across all federal lands.
The bill allows for tiered pricing, meaning the extra fee could change based on how crowded the park is. For example, the fee might be higher during the busy summer season and lower during the winter to help manage the number of visitors.