S 2580 — Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act

(a) America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass (1) Availability and use The Secretaries shall establish, and may charge a fee for, an interagency national pass to be known as the “America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass”, which shall cover the entrance fee and standard amenity recreation fee for all Federal recreational lands and waters for which an entrance fee or a standard amenity recreation fee is charged. (2) Image competition for recreation pass The Secretaries shall hold an annual competition to select the image to be used on the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for a year. The competition shall be open to the public and used as a means to educate the American people about Federal recreational lands and waters. (3) Notice of establishment The Secretaries shall publish a notice in the Federal Register when the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is first established and available for purchase. (4) Duration The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass shall be valid for a period of 12 months from the date of the issuance of the recreation pass to a passholder, except in the case of the age discount and lifetime passes issued under subsection (b). (5) Price The Secretaries shall establish the price at which the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass will be sold to the public. (6) Sales locations and marketing (A) In general The Secretaries shall sell or otherwise make available the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass— (i) at all Federal recreational lands and waters at which— (I) an entrance fee or a standard amenity recreation fee is charged; and (II) such sales or distribution of the Pass is feasible; (ii) at such other locations as the Secretaries consider appropriate and feasible; and (iii) through a prominent link to a centralized pass sale system on the website of each of the Federal land management agencies and the websites of the relevant units and subunits of those agencies, which shall include information about where and when a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass may be used. (B) Use of vendors The Secretary may enter into fee management agreements as provided in section 6805 of this title. (C) Marketing The Secretaries shall take such actions as are appropriate to provide for the active marketing of the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. (7) Administrative guidelines The Secretaries shall issue guidelines on administration of the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, which shall include agreement on price, the distribution of revenues between the Federal land management agencies, the sharing of costs, benefits provided, marketing and design, adequate documentation for discounts under subsection (b), and the issuance of that recreation pass to volunteers. The Secretaries shall take into consideration all relevant visitor and sales data available in establishing the guidelines. (8) Development and implementation agreements The Secretaries may enter into cooperative agreements with governmental and nongovernmental entities for the development and implementation of the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Program. (9) Prohibition on other national recreation passes The Secretary may not establish any national recreation pass, except as provided in this section. (10) Digital recreation passes Not later than January 1, 2026, the Secretaries shall— (A) establish a digital version of the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass that is able to be stored on a mobile device, including with respect to free and discounted passes; and (B) upon completion of a transaction for a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, make immediately available to the passholder a digital version of the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass established under subparagraph (A). (b) Free and discounted passes (...