Bill Summary
The "Reducing Waste in National Parks Act" aims to decrease the use of disposable plastic products within the National Park System. It mandates the establishment of a program by the Director of the National Park Service to reduce and potentially eliminate the sale and distribution of disposable plastic items, particularly plastic water bottles, within the parks.
Key components of the legislation include:
1. **Program Development**: A program focusing on the reduction of disposable plastic products is to be created within 180 days of enactment, to be implemented by regional directors across various park units.
2. **Elimination of Sales**: Regional directors are required to eliminate the sale of disposable plastic products to the greatest extent possible, taking into account various operational factors such as waste reduction, infrastructure costs, visitor education, and safety considerations.
3. **Visitor Education**: A proactive strategy must be developed to inform visitors about water availability and the reasons for these changes.
4. **Consistency Across Units**: The implementation of the program should be consistent across park units, including cooperation with concessioners operating in the parks.
5. **Biennial Evaluation**: The effectiveness of the program must be evaluated every two years, assessing public response, visitor satisfaction, and the impact on public safety.
Overall, the legislation seeks to promote environmental sustainability within national parks by reducing reliance on single-use plastics, thereby encouraging visitors to adopt more sustainable practices.
Possible Impacts
The "Reducing Waste in National Parks Act" could affect people in several ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Visitor Experience and Behavior**: The legislation aims to eliminate the sale of disposable plastic products, including water bottles, within national parks. This change will require visitors to bring their own reusable water containers or purchase alternatives. While this promotes environmental sustainability, it may initially inconvenience those who are unprepared or unaware of the new policies, potentially affecting their overall experience in the parks.
2. **Economic Impact on Concessioners**: Concessioners operating within national parks may face financial implications due to the elimination of disposable plastic product sales. If they rely heavily on selling bottled water or single-use plastic items, they might experience a decrease in sales revenue. This could lead to adjustments in their business models or pricing strategies, impacting both the concessioners and the visitors who utilize their services.
3. **Public Health and Safety Considerations**: The legislation emphasizes the need for visitor education regarding water availability and safety. Ensuring that visitors are informed about hydration options and the availability of refill stations is crucial, especially in remote areas of national parks where access to water may be limited. If this education is not effectively communicated, it could lead to public health concerns, such as dehydration or unsafe practices like drinking from untreated water sources.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3604 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3604
To encourage reduction of disposable plastic products in units of the
National Park System, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 23, 2025
Mr. Quigley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To encourage reduction of disposable plastic products in units of the
National Park System, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Reducing Waste in National Parks
Act''.
SEC. 2. DISPOSABLE PLASTIC PRODUCTS REDUCTION IN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL
PARK SYSTEM.
(a) Program for Reduction of Disposable Plastic Products in Units
of the NPS.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Director shall establish for the National Park System a
program for reduction of disposable plastic products and, if
applicable, elimination of the sale and distribution of disposable
plastic products under subsection (b). Each regional director shall
implement the plan for park units in their region.
(b) Elimination of Sale and Distribution of Disposable Plastic
Products.--
(1) In general.--Each regional director concerned shall
eliminate the sale of water in disposable plastic products and
the sale and distribution of other disposable plastic products
to the greatest extent feasible in the relevant unit of the
National Park System after consideration of the following
factors, when applicable, with respect to the relevant unit:
(A) The costs and benefits to the overall
operations.
(B) The amount of waste that would be eliminated.
(C) The infrastructure costs and funding sources
for bottle refill stations.
(D) Any contractual implications with respect to
concessioners, including considerations of new
leaseholder surrender interest or possessory interest.
(E) The operational costs of bottle refill
stations, including utilities and regular public health
testing.
(F) The cost and availability of bisphenol A-free
reusable containers.
(G) The effect on concessioner and cooperation
association sales revenue.
(H) The availability of water within concession
food service operations.
(I) The ability to provide visitor education in the
unit and online so that visitors may come prepared with
their own water bottles.
(J) Input from the National Park Service Office of
Public Health.
(K) The feasibility of posting signs so that
visitors can easily find bottle refill stations.
(L) Safety considerations for visitors who may
resort to not carrying enough water or drinking from
surface water sources with potential exposure to
disease.
(M) Any input from concessioners and cooperating
associations within the relevant unit.
(2) Units of nps previously eliminated sale of water in
disposable plastic products.--With respect to a unit of the
National Park System that did not offer for sale water in
disposable plastic products before the date of the enactment of
this Act, the applicable superintendent of the relevant unit
may continue to not offer for sale water in disposable plastic
bottles.
(c) Proactive Visitor Education Strategy.--Each regional director
concerned shall develop for the relevant unit of the National Park
System a proactive visitor education strategy to address visitor
expectations of water availability and explain the rationale for the
program and its implementation in the relevant unit.
(d) Continuity Within Unit of the NPS.--Each regional director
concerned shall, to the extent possible, implement the program in a
manner that is consistent throughout the relevant unit of the National
Park System, including incorporation of such program into any agreement
with an organization operating within the relevant unit, including a
concessioner operating plan and cooperating association scope of sales.
(e) Biennial Evaluation.--Each regional director concerned shall,
not less than once every 2 years--
(1) conduct an evaluation of the program for the relevant
unit of the National Park System, including--
(A) public response to the program;
(B) visitor satisfaction with the availability of
water;
(C) buying behavior with respect to products sold
in disposable plastic products;
(D) public safety including information on cases of
dehydration or exposure to disease from drinking from
surface water; and
(E) disposable plastic bottle collection rates; and
(2) submit the evaluation to the Director and the Secretary
of the Interior.
(f) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act--
(1) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the
National Park Service;
(2) the term ``disposable plastic products'' includes--
(A) disposable plastic beverage bottles;
(B) carryout bags made from film plastic;
(C) plastic food ware, including plastic food ware
products marketed as compostable or biodegradable; and
(D) expanded polystyrene products;
(3) the term ``program'' means the program for recycling
and reduction of disposable plastic products established under
subsection (a); and
(4) the term ``regional director concerned'' means, with
respect to a unit of the National Park System, the regional
director of the region of the National Park System in which the
relevant unit is located, working in coordination with the
superintendent of such unit.
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