Bill · S. 2498· Senate(119-S-2498)
National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act
- Introduced
- 7/29/2025
- Last activity
- 10/5/2026 — Held at the desk.
- Sponsored by
- Thomas Tillis
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Awaiting House
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act. It allows the Secretary of the Interior to extend certain existing leases within the National Park System without opening them up to normal bidding. To qualify, a current lessee must have held the lease for at least five years and followed all of its rules. Before granting an extension, the Secretary must publish a notice to see if other qualified groups are interested in operating the lease. Additionally, the bill allows the Secretary to enter into very long leases of up to 99 years for major property redevelopments that cost over $100,000,000.
Yes
Would business owners be better off under this?+5
Current leaseholders benefit from the ability to extend leases without facing new competition.
Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests?+3
The bill provides administrative efficiency for managing long-term leases within the National Park System.
Does this give the federal government more power?+2
The bill increases the discretionary authority of the Secretary of the Interior regarding lease extensions.
The opposite
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?-3
The ability to extend leases without competitive bidding may reduce the transparency of government land-use decisions.
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?-2
Bypassing competitive bidding may reduce transparency and oversight for land use within protected park areas.
How the text last changed
Engrossed in Senate (9/30/2026), compared with Reported to Senate. Each change is on the Text tab.
Between the older and newer versions of the bill, the entire substantive section detailing lease extension authorities and a requirement for the Secretary to revise regulations has been taken out. The newer version now contains only Section 1, which states the short title of the Act as the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act. This means the bill no longer contains provisions allowing lease extensions without complying with certain federal regulations or instructions for updating the Code of Federal Regulations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Section 2(a) and Section 2(b) allow current leaseholders who follow the rules to seek an extension without going through standard bidding, provided the Secretary checks for better competing offers first. This could benefit established operators who have invested in the park by giving them a fair path to continue their work.
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Section 2(d) requires a mid-term compliance review of extended leases to check on rent, maintenance, insurance, and permitted uses. If the lessee breaks the rules, the Secretary can terminate the extension, which holds operators accountable for keeping our parks in good shape.
-
Section 3(a) allows the Secretary to enter into leases lasting up to 99 years for National Park Service property redevelopments that cost more than $100,000,000. This could help secure major private investments to fix up and improve park facilities.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Section 2(a) lets the Secretary extend leases without opening them to the standard bidding process if the current lessee meets basic requirements. This could limit fair competition for new businesses or individuals who might want a chance to operate in the national parks.
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Section 2(c) and Section 3(b) require the Secretary to notify congressional committees about long lease extensions or very long leases, but they still give the executive branch the power to lock in these deals without a direct vote from the people's elected representatives.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+5
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Public Land Management+3Improves Environmental Protections-2
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+2Improves Government Transparency-3
The version one chamber actually passed
What changed from Reported to Senate
Between the older and newer versions of the bill, the entire substantive section detailing lease extension authorities and a requirement for the Secretary to revise regulations has been taken out. The newer version now contains only Section 1, which states the short title of the Act as the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act. This means the bill no longer contains provisions allowing lease extensions without complying with certain federal regulations or instructions for updating the Code of Federal Regulations.
Each change
- Section length and content: The entire text outlining lease extension rules, conditions, and the requirement for the Secretary to revise part 18 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, was removed.
Written by an AI model from a comparison of this version’s text with the one before it, not by a person. .
- 10/5/2026
- Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Held at the desk.
- Received in the House.
- 9/30/2026
- Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5201-5203; text: CR S5201-5202)
- 9/17/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 638.
- 7/29/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 7/21/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.
- 7/29/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Ted BuddRepublican · North Carolina