Engrossed in Senate

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2498 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2498

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to extend certain leases 
 within units of the National Park System without opening the lease to 
                                bidding.

    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 ``National Park System Long-Term Lease 
Investment Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION TO EXTEND CERTAIN LEASES.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsections (b) and (c), the Secretary 
of the Interior (acting through the Director of the National Park 
Service) (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') may extend a 
lease entered into under part 18 of title 36, Code of Federal 
Regulations (as in effect on January 3, 2025), without complying with 
the requirements of section 18.7, 18.8, or 18.10 of that part, if--
            (1) the lessee--
                    (A) entered into the lease not less than 5 years 
                before the date on which the extension takes effect; 
                and
                    (B) is in compliance with the terms and conditions 
                of the lease; and
            (2) the Secretary determines that extending the lease is in 
        the best interests of the administration of the applicable unit 
        of the National Park System.
    (b) Requirement.--Before extending a lease under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall--
            (1) publish a notice, for a period of not less than 60 
        days, inviting letters of interest from other qualified 
        entities to operate the lease on expiration;
            (2) evaluate any competing letter of interest received 
        under paragraph (1) as compared to the terms offered, planned 
        capital investment, and quality of visitor services provided by 
        the incumbent lessee; and
            (3) if the Secretary determines that a competing letter of 
        interest would provide better terms than the continued 
        operation of the incumbent lease--
                    (A) decline to extend the lease under subsection 
                (a); and
                    (B) in lieu of such an extension, offer the lease 
                for competitive bidding in accordance with sections 
                18.7 and 18.8 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations 
                (or successor regulations).
    (c) Congressional Notification Required for Certain Lease 
Extensions.--In the case of a proposed lease extension under subsection 
(a) for a duration of more than 10 years, the Secretary may not grant 
the proposed lease extension until the date that is not less than 30 
days after the date on which the Secretary submits to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives the proposed lease extension.
    (d) Mid-term Compliance Review.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than the date that is the 
        midpoint of the term of a lease extended under subsection (a), 
        the Director of the National Park Service shall prepare and 
        submit to the Secretary of the Interior a report evaluating the 
        compliance by the lessee with the terms and conditions of the 
        extended lease, including with respect to rent, maintenance, 
        insurance, and permitted-use requirements under the lease and 
        part 18 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
        regulations).
            (2) Review and determination.--Not later than 60 days after 
        receiving a report under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the 
        Interior shall--
                    (A) review the report; and
                    (B) based on the findings included in the report, 
                determine whether the lessee that is the subject of the 
                report remains in compliance with the terms and 
                conditions of the applicable extended lease.
            (3) Termination for noncompliance.--If the Secretary of the 
        Interior determines under paragraph (2) that a lessee is not in 
        compliance with the terms and conditions of an extended lease 
        under this section, the Secretary of the Interior may--
                    (A) terminate the lease extension in accordance 
                with the termination-for-cause or default provisions 
                required under section 18.12(a) of title 36, Code of 
                Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation); and
                    (B) after such termination, make the applicable 
                property available for lease through a request for bids 
                or a request for proposals under section 18.7 or 18.8, 
                respectively, of that title (or successor regulations).
            (4) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection 
        limits any other right of the Secretary of the Interior to 
        terminate a lease for cause or default in accordance with the 
        terms of the lease or applicable law.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO LONG-TERM LEASES.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding the second sentence of section 
18.10 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on January 
3, 2025), the Secretary may enter into a lease under part 18 of that 
title with a lease term of not more than 99 years for the redevelopment 
of National Park Service property, the redevelopment costs of which are 
expected to exceed $100,000,000, if the Secretary has determined that 
entering into the lease is in the best financial needs and interests of 
the administration of the applicable unit of the National Park System.
    (b) Congressional Notification Required for Certain Leases.--In the 
case of a proposed lease under subsection (a) for a duration of more 
than 60 years, the Secretary may not enter into the proposed lease 
until the date that is not less than 60 days after the date on which 
the Secretary submits to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives the proposed lease.

SEC. 4. CONFORMING REGULATIONS.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall revise part 18 of title 36, Code of Federal 
Regulations, to reflect the authority granted under sections 2 and 3.

            Passed the Senate September 30, 2026.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
119th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2498

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to extend certain leases 
 within units of the National Park System without opening the lease to 
                                bidding.