A proposed bill would allow fourth-graders and their families to continue using federal land for free.
The legislation permits every fourth-grader and their family free access to all federally managed land, water and historic sites, including national parks for free and is an extension of the Every Kid in a Park campaign, started in 2015.
The new legislation would codify the program into law and allow it to continue officially for the forseable future.
“We sing about and believe in America the beautiful, and one of the best ways to experience that beauty is to explore our national parks,” Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) wrote in a statement. “I grew up next to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which means I really grew up in the park, and made many of my childhood memories there. It is my hope that fourth-graders – and their families – across the country will take some time to explore our country’s national parks and create their own memories.”
Alexander and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the legislation to the Senate while Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Congressman Scott Tipton (R-CO), Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) introduced the bill in the House.