119-s472

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 472 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 472

 To amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to 
provide for the establishment of a Ski Area Fee Retention Account, and 
 for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 6 (legislative day, February 5), 2025

Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mrs. Shaheen, 
 Ms. Hassan, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Risch, Mr. 
Crapo, Mr. Daines, and Mr. Sheehy) introduced the following bill; which 
 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
 Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to 
provide for the establishment of a Ski Area Fee Retention Account, and 
 for other purposes.

 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 ``Ski Hill Resources for Economic 
Development Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SKI AREA FEE RETENTION ACCOUNT.

    (a) In General.--

Section 701 of division I of the Omnibus Parks and 
Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 497c) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (k) Ski Area Fee Retention Account.--
 ``

    (1) === Definitions. ===
-In this subsection:
 ``
        (A) Account.--The term `Account' means the Ski 
 Area Fee Retention Account established under paragraph

    (2) .
 ``
        (B) Covered unit.--The term `covered unit' means 
 the unit of the National Forest System that collects 
 the ski area permit rental charge under this section.
 ``
            (C) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the 
 Secretary of Agriculture.
 ``

    (2) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
 establish a special account in the Treasury, to be known as the 
 `Ski Area Fee Retention Account'.
 ``

    (3) Deposits.--Subject to paragraphs

    (4) and

    (5) , a ski 
 area permit rental charge collected by the Secretary under this 
 section shall--
 ``
        (A) be deposited in the Account;
 ``
        (B) be available to the Secretary for use, 
 without further appropriation; and
 ``
            (C) remain available for the period of 4 fiscal 
 years beginning with the first fiscal year after the 
 fiscal year in which the ski area permit rental charge 
 is deposited in the Account under subparagraph
        (A) .
 ``

    (4) Distribution of amounts in the account.--
 ``
        (A) Local distribution of funds.--
 ``
            (i) In general.--Except as provided in 
 subparagraph
            (C) , the Secretary shall expend 80 
 percent of the ski area permit rental charges 
 deposited in the Account from a covered unit at 
 the covered unit in accordance with clause
            (ii) .
 ``
            (ii) Distribution.--Of the amounts made 
 available for expenditure under clause
            (i) --
 ``
            (I) 75 percent shall be used at 
 the covered unit for activities 
 described in paragraph

    (5)
        (A) ; and
 ``
            (II) 25 percent shall be used for 
 activities at the covered unit 
 described in paragraph

    (5)
        (B) .
 ``
        (B) Agency-wide distribution of funds.--The 
 Secretary shall expend 20 percent of the ski area 
 permit rental charges deposited in the Account from a 
 covered unit at any unit of the National Forest System 
 for an activity described in subparagraph
        (A) or
        (B) of 
 paragraph

    (5) .
 ``
            (C) Reduction of percentage.--
 ``
            (i) Reduction.--The Secretary shall 
 reduce the percentage otherwise applicable 
 under subparagraph
        (A)
            (i) to not less than 60 
 percent if the Secretary determines that the 
 amount otherwise made available under that 
 subparagraph exceeds the reasonable needs of 
 the covered unit for which expenditures may be 
 made in the applicable fiscal year.
 ``
            (ii) Distribution of funds.--The balance 
 of the ski area permit rental charges that are 
 collected at a covered unit, deposited into the 
 Account, and not distributed in accordance with 
 subparagraph
        (A) or
        (B) shall be available to 
 the Secretary for expenditure at any other unit 
 of the National Forest System in accordance 
 with the following:
 ``
            (I) 75 percent shall be used for 
 activities described in paragraph

    (5)
        (A) .
 ``
            (II) 25 percent shall be used for 
 activities described in paragraph

    (5)
        (B) .
 ``

    (5) Expenditures.--Amounts available to the Secretary for 
 expenditure from the Account shall be only used for--
 ``
        (A)
            (i) the administration of the Forest Service 
 ski area program, including--
 ``
            (I) the processing of an application for 
 a new ski area or a ski area improvement 
 project, including staffing and contracting for 
 the processing; and
 ``
            (II) administering a ski area permit 
 described in subsection

    (a) ;
 ``
            (ii) staff training for--
 ``
            (I) the processing of an application 
 for--
 ``

    (aa) a new ski area;
 ``

    (bb) a ski area improvement 
 project; or
 ``
            (cc) a special use permit; or
 ``
            (II) administering--
 ``

    (aa) a ski area permit described 
 in subsection

    (a) ; or
 ``

    (bb) a special use permit;
 ``
            (iii) an interpretation activity, National Forest 
 System visitor information, a visitor service, or 
 signage;
 ``
            (iv) direct costs associated with collecting a 
 ski area permit rental charge or other fee collected by 
 the Secretary related to recreation;
 ``
            (v) planning for, or coordinating to respond to, 
 a wildfire in or adjacent to a recreation site, 
 particularly a ski area; or
 ``
            (vi) reducing the likelihood of a wildfire 
 starting, or the risks posed by a wildfire, in or 
 adjacent to a recreation site, particularly a ski area, 
 except through hazardous fuels reduction activities; or
 ``
        (B)
            (i) the repair, maintenance, or enhancement of a 
 Forest Service-owned facility, road, or trail directly related 
 to visitor enjoyment, visitor access, or visitor health or 
 safety;
 ``
            (ii) habitat restoration directly related to recreation;
 ``
            (iii) law enforcement related to public use and 
 recreation;
 ``
            (iv) the construction or expansion of parking areas;
 ``
            (v) the processing or administering of a recreation 
 special use permit;
 ``
            (vi) avalanche information and education activities 
 carried out by the Secretary or nonprofit partners;
 ``
            (vii) search and rescue activities carried out by the 
 Secretary, a local government, or a nonprofit partner; or
 ``
            (viii) the administration of leases under--
 ``
            (I) the Forest Service Facility Realignment and 
 Enhancement Act of 2005 (16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public 
 Law 109-54); and
 ``
            (II) section 8623 of the Agriculture Improvement 
 Act of 2018 (16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public Law 115-334).
 ``

    (6) Limitation.--Amounts in the Account may not be used 
 for--
 ``
        (A) the conduct of wildfire suppression; or
 ``
        (B) the acquisition of land for inclusion in the 
 National Forest System.
 ``

    (7) Effect.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--Nothing in this subsection 
 affects the applicability of 

section 7 of the Act of 
 April 24, 1950 (commonly known as the `Granger-Thye 
 Act') (16 U.S.C. 580d), to ski areas on National Forest 
 System land.
 ``
        (B) Supplemental funding.--Rental charges 
 retained and expended under this subsection shall 
 supplement (and not supplant) appropriated funding for 
 the operation and maintenance of each covered unit.
 ``
            (C) Cost recovery.--Nothing in this subsection 
 affects any cost recovery under any provision of law 
 (including regulations) for processing an application 
 for or monitoring compliance with a ski area permit or 
 other recreation special use permit.''.

    (b) Effective Date.--This section (including the amendments made by 
this section) shall take effect on the date that is 60 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act.
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