Military Families National Parks Access Enhancement Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9516) to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for lifetime National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes for family members of members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives while serving their country, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 9516

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 ``Military Families National Parks Access Enhancement Act''. SEC. 2. LIFETIME PASSES.

Section 805(b)(2) of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6804(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``(D) Any individual who is a survivor entitled to--

``(i) a death gratuity under section 1475 of title 10, United States Code; or

``(ii) dependency and indemnity compensation under chapter 13 of title 38, United States Code.''.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. 9516, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9516, the Military Families National Parks Access Enhancement Act. This bill, which is led by Representative Chavez-DeRemer, expands access to free, lifetime passes to our national parks and public lands to Gold Star next of kin and families of veterans who pass away due to a service-related illness or injury.

Across the Nation, military families play a critical role in protecting our freedoms. They are the strongest base of support for the brave military servicemembers who risk their lives defending America.

When these troops make the ultimate sacrifice for our country, the emotional impact on their families is devastating. While nothing can replace a lost loved one, outdoor recreation has a proven track record of providing at least some measure of relief in times of profound tragedy.

In 2021, Congress permanently codified free lifetime passes to our national parks and public lands for Gold Star families in the Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act, a bill I proudly cosponsored and helped champion through the Natural Resources Committee.

Unfortunately, the eligibility for these passes excluded families whose relatives were killed in incidents such as hazardous training accidents or due to a service-related illness.

H.R. 9516, however, will expand access to free lifetime America the Beautiful passes to Gold Star next-of-kin family members and family members of fallen veterans. This legislation is a meaningful way to support additional families whose loved ones were lost in their selfless service to our Nation.

I commend Representative Chavez-DeRemer for spearheading this noble effort. Throughout this Congress, Representative Chavez-DeRemer has demonstrated exemplary public service by working tirelessly with Members on both sides of the aisle to better serve her constituents. She introduced this bill after receiving outreach from a constituent family whose loved one passed away on Active Duty but was not eligible for these passes. Her advocacy on behalf of her constituents and our military families is commendable.

Mr. Speaker, I reiterate my strong support for this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, in closing, once again, I thank Representative Chavez-DeRemer for her efforts to introduce this meaningful legislation. This bill would help reduce the financial burden on our military families who want to visit our national parks and expand their access to the healing powers of outdoor recreation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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