[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6169545,"mediaKeyId","5403966-576319740a58ee3670eb715144149021","parentId",5403966,"title","Malloy bill would make Sept. 17, 2026 a fee-free day at National Park Service sites","audioSeconds",3,"startMs",1169000,"endMs",1172000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5403966-576319740a58ee3670eb715144149021&start=1169&end=1172","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5403966-576319740a58ee3670eb715144149021/thumbnail_1169000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6169545/Malloy-bill-would-make-Sept-17-2026-a-fee-free-day-at-National-Park-Service-sites","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169545-8bad679d0bf4833e32d61f0cdba04529/orig.mp4?Expires=1773641473&Signature=LT-cn0PcRlpfxFVHBfQrpQqOOTOK5aGCiOsYy~r8CfPnB1xdTLF3AW3PF2r-plICw4aX8-6vvUfjPUdjwqKlQS7EEwcpESc24lASl6Jv9YvweTNWsd1eozIoi88FTanHk-IkXQBYhfQe9ySjhpXNkRSEOaYUkjDb1sSLgZKZr0duOglOsxTtceJZfYMJTZK~LC3eFBMcyDWQsGufPjrpFJlJhA3koScAXCfFm9jslFye9mXC9Jr6Q5qAbvkIUNjOoLJBZKbI9nvcmSnmfW0MDxZVXW8iBNMq4ojHGApRh9Yq4~tW~~s-dnTtq1bSkmK-2jLJBL7-fUudjYg2jQiA8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources","date","2025-07-09T19:45:48Z","article","Rep. Burgess Malloy introduced the Semi-quincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites (STARS) Act to direct the secretary of the Interior to designate Sept. 17, 2026, Constitution Day, as a fee‑free day at all National Park Service sites nationwide.

Supporters told the Subcommittee on Federal Lands that a single national fee‑free day will expand access to public lands during the nation’s 250th anniversary, promote local economies and encourage repeat visitation. Natalie Randall, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism and Film Commission, told the subcommittee that Utah’s national park sites attracted more than 15,700,000 visitors in 2023 and generated about $1.9 billion in visitor spending supporting roughly 26,500 local jobs. \"Designating September 17 in 2026 as a fee free day celebrating America 250 will encourage even greater public participation in this historic milestone,\" Randall said.

The bill’s advocates argued the day will create awareness that drives return visits and strengthens gateway communities that depend on recreation and tourism. \"The invitation and accessibility a fee free day creates allows for these communities to share their heritage with visitors across the country and the world,\" Randall said, adding that fee waivers can help bring underserved communities to parks.

Committee members pressed witnesses on practical limits. Ranking Member Representative Joe Neguse said he supports increasing access but raised staffing concerns: he noted an ongoing appropriations markup that, he said, included significant cuts to the National Park Service and would result in layoffs and reduced capacity, asking how parks could accommodate increased visitation without sufficient staff on the ground. The hearing record shows no formal committee action on the STARS Act during the hearing; witnesses recommended coordination with park managers and resource planning before implementation.

The subcommittee heard personal and place‑based testimony from Utah and other gateway communities about economic reliance on visitation. Supporters framed the measure as symbolic and practical: a national invitation to celebrate the Constitution and the country’s public lands together. No binding timeline, appropriation, or required administrative changes were enacted at the hearing; committee members may submit follow‑up questions for the record.

The subcommittee held the hearing as part of a set of bills related to commemorations for the nation’s 250th anniversary. The STARS Act would rely on the Interior Department and the National Park Service to implement any fee waiver and on existing park operating plans to absorb increased visitation. Committee members asked the witnesses to provide additional detail about how parks would staff, educate and steward lands if the fee‑free day leads to significantly higher attendance.

Less urgent procedural steps for the bill remain: hearings and staff work, coordination with the National Park Service and, if advanced, referral to the full Natural Resources Committee for markup and a possible floor vote.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Legislative Hearing | Subcommittee on Federal Lands","oneSentenceSummary","Rep. Burgess Malloy introduced the Semi-quincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites (STARS) Act to direct the Interior secretary to designate Sept. 17, 2026, Constitution Day, as a fee‑free day at all National Park Service sites nationwide.","taxTitle","Natural Resources: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1983,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6169530,"Adams Memorial Commission seeks reauthorization, new site option and matched federal funding",383,2623000,3006000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5403966-576319740a58ee3670eb715144149021&start=2623&end=3006","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5403966-576319740a58ee3670eb715144149021/thumbnail_2623000.jpg","/articles/6169530/Adams-Memorial-Commission-seeks-reauthorization-new-site-option-and-matched-federal-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169530-10028beadce18c3bcfaa52633fa11e0d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773641473&Signature=IW-At45kiMBuw0uSBPwZP7VAN~uH6l6A~5AHJnYz0tCcTnoUDHvWXwZFVbQ1TK8rvxQs3zhkLv-RFWcTOERf6jTttKAZZEXvq-2~eSXnV-vCAfNyrrMyb0~CwPH-xPE6-po2k3Q6q07QC52TU97kG3s82-f8-wwbjQr6npC8C8vWUFFgHqs2MWT~AXoXWadZ1P7IKJo28MjzshbHK-z-1uH1zYR5sf4seUixa~ZyYQTNHCmL54Dg4-7y~ggIHDV9wDd8ilv7DDa-XzkwEupFuleQdMMySsNym6qM0Zc9MPj3Ar4ZnTn3jvs9GpcPKUqendPuqicKG4~1lWHB9hGUHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The subcommittee heard testimony on H.R. 2306, the Adams Memorial Great American Heroes Act, which would reauthorize the Adams Memorial Commission, add an additional site for consideration near the Ellipse and authorize federal appropriations up to $50,000,000 subject to a 1:1 private match.

Jackie Gingrich Cushman, chair of the Adams Memorial Commission, said the commission has completed organizational steps and is working with the Adams Memorial Foundation to raise private funds. Cushman described the Adams family’s historical role — John Adams, Abigail Adams and John Quincy Adams — and urged action to place a memorial that she said would address a gap in the National Mall’s representation of founding figures. She described the proposed parcel northeast of the Ellipse (a derelict visitors' pavilion footprint) as ‘‘perfect’’ for a memorial that would extend the north‑south commemorative axis and honor John Adams as the first President to live in the White House.

Cushman described financial guardrails in the bill: federal appropriations would be limited to $50 million and conditioned on a 1:1 private match; administrative costs would be capped at 4 percent. She said the commission does not anticipate requesting federal appropriations until the private fundraising and design phases are complete.

Supporters framed the bill as consistent with semiquincentennial goals of educating and unifying the nation. Several members, including Representative Molinar (house lead noted in the hearing), urged the committee to vote in favor and highlighted the commission’s bipartisan membership. No committee vote occurred at the hearing; Cushman said the commission will continue private fundraising and work with relevant agencies on site selection and design.

","H.R. 2306 would reauthorize the Adams Memorial Commission, add a potential site northeast of the Ellipse and permit federal appropriations up to $50 million with a 1:1 private match; commission chair Jackie Gingrich Cushman said the bill is intended to complete a long‑standing effort to honor the Adams family on the National Mall.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6169535,"Subcommittee hears case to designate America’s National Churchill Museum a national historic landmark",926,1576000,2502000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5403966-576319740a58ee3670eb715144149021&start=1576&end=2502","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5403966-576319740a58ee3670eb715144149021/thumbnail_1576000.jpg","/articles/6169535/Subcommittee-hears-case-to-designate-Americas-National-Churchill-Museum-a-national-historic-landmark","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169535-f0776ede95c1d83efc3094aa7b243371/orig.mp4?Expires=1773641473&Signature=RRp-Ns~J4Se6dr4XQMSrks1OfSiqMa6-20Kyl4MReAY5NvRiutki5I-mbVLbNrJmAbrMszj6SmHkwjBYb9IDRFU6Lc5Rpfzic1fOvedGFbTOteKs6GAMVCb~6HauH5ANawhDZ6idsOBmb9tEvAjav8Y6MtRFDRuNx-bPz9-OeLviFPWjsUAwhDdgPyyIHkNFLOW-6CCxM31Q213-j0OEjUirGTis~tsuU2BLnGS7nmMxasWc4Pk7P78xuyUljp7TAVEPpVSh-EQwCD7ayPNmNklsEJvkSb9T17SypCLavuEJ2yRm8VtpyLhB6bgSQW6c~bxR5--yNN-AKS530lKL8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rep. Vicky Onder introduced H.R. 1945 to designate America’s National Churchill Museum at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, as a national historic landmark.

Tim Riley, director and chief curator of America’s National Churchill Museum, told the subcommittee the museum marks the site of Winston Churchill’s 1946 \"Sinews of Peace\" address, commonly called the Iron Curtain speech, delivered at Westminster College with President Harry S. Truman at his side. Riley described the museum’s centerpiece: the reconstructed Christopher Wren church Saint Mary Aldermanbury, whose stones were dismantled in London, shipped roughly 4,000 miles and reassembled on the Westminster campus. He said Westminster College has invested $6,000,000 in museum preservation since 2020.

Riley said formal designation as a national historic landmark would boost tourism to Callaway County, Missouri, and could open federal partnership opportunities while leaving the site under local ownership and management. During Q&A, Riley confirmed the legislation requests a resource study by the Department of the Interior to assess possible federal partnership opportunities without transferring ownership to the federal government.

Witnesses and members framed the church and museum as an international‑to‑local story of resilience — a British building damaged in the Blitz, reconstructed in rural Missouri as a memorial to Churchill’s leadership — and argued that landmark designation recognizes its national significance. The hearing produced testimony and a request for further study; no committee vote occurred at the hearing.

","Supporters urged formal national historic landmark designation for America's National Churchill Museum at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, highlighting Winston Churchill’s 1946 Iron Curtain speech and the reconstructed Christopher Wren church Saint Mary Aldermanbury transported from London.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6169540,"House bill would allow World War II women’s memorial near World War II Memorial on the National Mall",1356,1365000,2721000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5403966-576319740a58ee3670eb715144149021&start=1365&end=2721","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5403966-576319740a58ee3670eb715144149021/thumbnail_1365000.jpg","/articles/6169540/House-bill-would-allow-World-War-II-womens-memorial-near-World-War-II-Memorial-on-the-National-Mall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169540-1f92c2284a85d7fe202235f9e0466f26/orig.mp4?Expires=1773641473&Signature=Wx~HuV2GkT6xUlWD4D3QI1myOmGIXhN-hXhwxYB7yxbTE1P2AHKM1PYqDUTwvZm-XmkFYVyamA1eu6AaQLQxyTWPSLagHSt~Fy6iwtpZsi~w80fcCW1rjVZm3XxgxykKUKjRBpw~KPRVfPZcgLOr6PpWAVcFaKJ1kCazM0UW03~9lDM~J17cwK0NeHF26FjDZhBp4af8Mro4XvDxUudZNm6tSuzND3RIPLdZzdT05Q0ynxyutUSESvfLD~LA0nSu3P5MBvx56bdH7OMFwrqHlv6RDPHAo-H6xagXndJvKfq0ihpURqn9RPEejtz1~Gswg0mc~CMV7FpxA3o~dcC9Vw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rep. Debbie Dingell and Rep. Mike Fulcher (co-leads noted during the hearing) asked the subcommittee to consider H.R. 2290, the World War II Women’s Memorial Location Act, to authorize the placement of a memorial on the National Mall reserve honoring the more than 18 million American women who supported the war effort on the home front during World War II.

Rya (Raya) Kenny, executive director of the World War II Women’s Memorial Foundation, described a decade‑long effort to secure site authorization after Congress authorized establishment of the memorial in 2022. \"We found that the locations with the strongest thematic and historical nexuses are adjacent to the World War II memorial or slightly northwest of that memorial in Constitution Gardens,\" Kenny said, adding that the foundation envisions a site \"less than a quarter of an acre of space, low to the ground, and unobtrusive to our beautiful national landscape.\"

Kenny and sponsoring members said the memorial’s proximity to the existing World War II Memorial would help visitors connect the women’s contributions to the broader wartime story; she noted the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission previously advised that Area I locations better connect the memorial thematically with that era. The foundation and supporters said the memorial will be funded through private donations; Kenny said she did not expect taxpayer dollars to fund construction.

Supporters emphasized urgency: Representative Mike Fulcher and others noted that the cohort of women the memorial honors is aging and supporters want living World War II home‑front veterans to see the memorial. Fulcher asked Kenny whether she knew how many of the “Rosies” remain alive; she replied she did not have an exact number but that their numbers \"are dwindling at every month that passes,\" underscoring the advocates’ push for expedited action.

Ranking Member Neguse voiced support for the memorial while raising broader concerns about signage and messaging at national parks and about pending funding cuts to the National Park Service; he said the committee should reconcile efforts to add commemorative works with current agency staffing and budget pressures.

The hearing record shows H.R. 2290 was presented and supported by multiple members and witnesses but no committee vote was taken. Witnesses were asked to provide additional materials for the record; committee staff will determine next procedural steps, including any site studies or formal approvals by the National Park Service and related advisory commissions.

","H.R. 2290 would authorize the World War II Women's Memorial to be located within the National Mall reserve (Area I) adjacent to the existing World War II Memorial or in Constitution Gardens; the foundation said the memorial would be small, privately funded and positioned to connect thematically with the World War II era.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Malloy bill would make Sept. 17, 2026 a fee-free day at National Park Service sites

Adams Memorial Commission seeks reauthorization, new site option and matched federal funding

Subcommittee hears case to designate America’s National Churchill Museum a national historic landmark

House bill would allow World War II women’s memorial near World War II Memorial on the National Mall