Visitor Services Improvement and Outdoor Legacy Act of 1996

Summary

Visitor Services Improvement and Outdoor Legacy Act of 1995 - Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to direct the Federal land management agencies to establish recreation fee programs designed to generate 75 percent of the annual cost of providing visitor recreational programs. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretaries) to jointly issue a policy for the establishment and collection of recreation fees. Directs the Secretaries to: (1) establish recreation fees to substantially recover the costs of recreational services; and (2) consider the direct and indirect cost to the Government, the benefits to the recipient, the public policy or interest served, the comparable recreation fees charged by other public and private entities, the economic and administrative feasibility of fee collection, convenience to the recreation user and other pertinent factors. Requires the fee to be prominently posted in each area. Directs the Secretaries to annually develop a target recreation revenue goal for each area following the initial transition period. Requires "Golden Eagle Passports" to be made available at the recreation area. Authorizes the Secretaries to allow units of State or local governments, organizations, businesses, and nonprofit entities to sell and collect fees for the Golden Eagle Passports. Instructs the Secretaries to establish a special account for each agency collecting recreation fees and to separately account for receipts and disbursements of funds for each area. Directs the Secretaries to develop a formula for dividing the funds received from the sale of Golden Eagle Passports among all of the agencies. Instructs the Secretaries to divide the funds received from the sale of geographic admission permits among the areas issuing the permits. Sets forth auditing requirements and penalties for violating rules and regulations established by the Secretaries. Authorizes the Secretaries to contract with any public or private entity to provide visitor reservation services and to enlist volunteers to collect fees. Requires the Secretaries to jointly: (1) study the effect on low-income individuals of user and admission fees; and (2) submit a report to the Congress on the implementation of the fee schedule. Authorizes appropriations.

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Documents

6 official files

• Reported in House (text)

  Reported in House · EN · 4 September 1996

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• Reported in House (PDF)

  Reported in House · EN · 4 September 1996

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• Reported to House with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 4 September 1996

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• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN · 25 July 1995

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• Introduced in House (PDF)

  Introduced in House · EN · 25 July 1995

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 25 July 1995

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