Congress expands free national park passes to foster families
H.R. 9145 — PARKS Act · Filed by Russ Fulcher (R-ID) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jun 4, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to add licensed foster families to the list of groups eligible for free annual passes to federal recreation sites. Foster families must provide proof of eligibility and receive one pass per family, with additional passes available at no cost if the family is too large to fit under a single pass.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to extend an existing federal benefit (free annual recreation passes) to a specific vulnerable population (licensed foster families). It is a straightforward eligibility expansion with no hidden provisions or market implications.
What the text implies
- The bill's fiscal impact depends on uptake rates among foster families and the Secretary's implementation of the 'adequate proof of eligibility' standard — if proof requirements are burdensome, the benefit may be underutilized.
- The phrase 'one or more additional passes' for large families creates discretionary authority for the Secretary to determine when a family is 'too many members to be covered by a single pass,' which could lead to inconsistent application across regions.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Foster families and children in foster care gain free access to federal recreation sites, reducing a cost barrier to outdoor recreation and family bonding. The bill imposes no new restrictions on citizens and creates a modest public benefit with minimal fiscal impact.
Named in the bill
Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, Social Security Act (sections 472(c) and 479B), U.S. Department of Interior (implied Secretary authority), Licensed foster families
Where it stands
1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.
- Jun 4, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jun 4, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Agriculture and House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period…”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,066 characters) on Sep 28, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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