HR 177 — Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act

Summary

Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness ActThis bill modifies the Raker Act, which allowed San Francisco to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley within Yosemite National Park, to (1) increase the annual rent San Francisco pays to the National Park Service (NPS), and (2) direct the NPS to expand public access to the reservoir and lake created by the dam.Specifically, the bill increases rent paid by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for the use of the park from $30,000 to $2 million per year. That amount must be adjusted annually to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The commission may not recoup such sums from wholesale water or power customers. The bill allows collected rent to be used by the Department of the Interior for wildfire mitigation activities in the park and other national parks in California.The bill also requires the NPS to administer the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas for public recreation, benefit, and use in a manner that will preserve scenic, historic, scientific, or otherwise important features.

Bill Text

• Introduced Introduced in House Current html January 03, 2025

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill expands access to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas for recreational purposes and modifies existing funding provisions.

• Section 7

  $30,000 → $2,000,000

  Increases the funding cap for improvements from $30,000 to $2,000,000.

• Section 7

  and adjusted annually to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers

  Requires the funding amount to be adjusted annually based on inflation.

• Section 7

  The grantee may not recoup said sums from wholesale water or power customers of the grantee.

  Prohibits the grantee from recovering costs from wholesale water or power customers.

• Section 7

  and wildfire mitigation activities

  Expands the types of improvements that can be funded to include wildfire mitigation.

• SEC. 12. RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY.

  Establishes a new section to govern recreational activities at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin.

• Section 12(a)

  for public recreation, benefit, and use;

  Mandates that the areas be administered for public recreation and benefit.

• Section 12(a)

  to the extent practicable, in a manner that will preserve, develop, and enhance the public recreation capacity of each such area;

  Encourages preservation and enhancement of recreational capacity.

• Section 12(a)

  in a manner that will preserve the features of each such area that are scenic, historic, scientific, or otherwise important.

  Ensures that recreational administration preserves important area features.

• Section 12(b)

  Swimming.

  Permits swimming within the designated areas.

• Section 12(b)

  Use of non-motorized watercraft.

  Allows the use of non-motorized boats for recreation.

• Section 12(b)

  Camping in and around each such area if such camping is not below the respective ordinary high-water marks of each such area.

  Enables camping with restrictions to protect natural features.

• Section 12(b)

  Picnicking in and around each such area.

  Allows picnicking in designated areas.

• Section 12(b)

  Other recreational activities the Secretary determines appropriate.

  Provides flexibility for additional approved recreational activities.

• Section 12(b)

  Use by motorized and non-motorized vehicles of roads required to access each such area to conduct activities described in this subsection if such use has no negative effect on the operation or maintenance of any facility associated with a dam within each such area.

  Permits vehicle access to designated areas as long as it does not disrupt dam facilities.

• Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report...

  Mandates a report on adherence to the original intent of recreational access in the 1913 Act.

Action History

1. September 10, 2026

   Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.

2. January 03, 2025

   Introduced in House

3. January 03, 2025

   Introduced in House

4. January 03, 2025

   Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Sponsors

• Tom McClintock · Primary
• Ken Calvert · Cosponsor
• Doug LaMalfa · Cosponsor
• David G. Valadao · Cosponsor

Subjects