Bill > HR3604

This bill, called the "Reducing Waste in National Parks Act", establishes a comprehensive program to reduce disposable plastic products within National Park System units. The bill requires the National Park Service Director to create a plan within 180 days to eliminate or significantly reduce the sale and distribution of disposable plastic products, including water bottles, plastic bags, food containers, and polystyrene items. Regional directors must carefully consider multiple factors when implementing the reduction, such as operational costs, waste elimination potential, infrastructure needs for water refill stations, contractual implications with park concessionaires, visitor safety, and public health considerations. Each regional director must also develop a visitor education strategy to explain the program's rationale and manage visitor expectations about water availability. The bill mandates biennial evaluations of the program's effectiveness, examining public response, visitor satisfaction, buying behaviors, public safety, and plastic bottle collection rates. The legislation provides flexibility for implementation while setting clear goals for reducing plastic waste in national parks, with specific attention to maintaining visitor safety and comfort during the transition away from disposable plastic products.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3604/all-info