What This Bill Does
The America the Beautiful Act would reauthorize the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund for deposits from 2027 through 2031 and change how the fund is used to pay for deferred maintenance on federal lands. It would keep directing money to agencies like the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management, while setting new minimum shares for non-transportation repairs and tighter limits on what the money can pay for. The bill also expands how deferred maintenance is defined and adds new donation, reporting, and asset-disposal rules. For ordinary Americans who visit parks, forests, refuges, or public lands, the main effect is potentially more money aimed at fixing backlogged roads, trails, buildings, and other infrastructure.
- Reauthorizes the Legacy Restoration Fund for deposits from 2027 through 2031.
- Sets a $2,000,000,000 maximum amount tied to the fund's deposit rules.
- Requires at least 65% for Service and Fish and Wildlife non-transportation maintenance, 32% for Forest Service, and 15% for BLM.
- Allows donations to be solicited at project sites and during checkout for recreation passes.
- Bars fund money from being used to buy land or replace regular operating budgets.
Who This Bill Affects
If you visit national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, or BLM lands, this bill could mean more federal money for repairing roads, bridges, tunnels, trails, buildings, and other assets instead of letting them deteriorate. It also could make it easier for agencies to collect donations at project sites and during pass purchases, which may speed up some repair work without directly raising taxes on the general public. The effect is mainly indirect for most people, but it is concrete for users of federal recreation lands who benefit from better-maintained facilities.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisWho Supports & Opposes This
- National park, forest, refuge, and public lands visitors They want roads, bridges, trails, restrooms, and visitor facilities repaired so access is safer and more reliable. The bill dedicates money to deferred maintenance instead of leaving repairs to compete with other annual budget needs.
- Local communities near federal recreation areas Better-maintained federal lands can support tourism, outdoor recreation, and local businesses that depend on predictable access and functioning facilities. Repairing backlog projects may also reduce safety hazards and closures that hurt nearby economies.
- Conservation and land-management advocates The bill preserves and clarifies the maintenance fund, expands the definition of deferred maintenance in limited cases, and requires reporting on preventive maintenance. Supporters would say that helps the federal government catch up on long-neglected infrastructure before it gets worse.
- Fiscal conservatives concerned about federal spending controls They may object to a multi-year reauthorization and to the scale of the fund, especially the $2 billion cap and the commitment of revenue streams to a specific purpose. Some may prefer agencies to be funded through the regular appropriations process rather than a dedicated fund.
- Agency managers who want more budget flexibility Fixed percentages for non-transportation work and restrictions on land acquisition or regular operating needs can limit how managers respond to local conditions. They may argue that maintenance categories should be set project by project rather than by statute.
- Stakeholders wary of donation-driven funding Some may worry that relying on checkout prompts and site-based donation solicitations could favor well-visited parks over less popular but equally important assets. Others may see it as too dependent on voluntary contributions for core public infrastructure.
Key Implications
-
““deposits into the Fund ... 2027 through 2031””
This extends the window during which federal revenue can be directed into the maintenance fund, giving the program another five-year runway for repairs.
-
““not less than 65 percent ... nontransportation projects””
For the Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, most of the money must go to non-road maintenance such as buildings, utilities, trails, and other facilities.
-
““provide to the public information on the ability ... to accept donations””
Agencies would be instructed to actively ask for donations, including through public campaigns, donation locations, and pass-purchase checkout screens.
-
““No amounts in the Fund shall be used for the acquisition of land””
The money is limited to maintenance and repair; it cannot be used to buy new federal land or land interests.
-
““shall submit ... a report ... and includes a plan ... to increase preventative annual and cyclic maintenance””
Congress would receive a report on what agencies are doing outside the fund and on how they plan to prevent future maintenance backlogs.
Latest Status
June 17, 2026
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 439.
Related Bills
Take Action
Get more from BillBoard
Free tools to understand, respond to, and track this bill.
Ask AI about this billData sourced from api.congress.gov.