National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act
Latest action (29 Jul 2026): Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
What this bill does
S. 2498, the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to extend certain existing leases within units of the National Park System without opening those leases to competitive bidding, as would otherwise be required under specific federal regulations (part 18 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations). To qualify, a lessee must have held the lease for at least five years before the extension takes effect and must be in compliance with its terms, and the Secretary must determine that extending the lease serves the best interests of managing the park unit. The bill also directs the Secretary to revise the relevant regulation within 90 days of enactment to reflect this new authority.
The bill primarily affects businesses and other entities holding long-term leases for facilities or concessions within national parks, as well as the National Park Service, which would gain discretion to renew qualifying leases administratively rather than through a competitive process. It could also affect prospective bidders who would no longer have an opportunity to compete for those specific lease renewals.
The bill was introduced by Senator Thom Tillis, with Senator Budd as a cosponsor, and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. As of the latest action, the committee has ordered the bill reported favorably with an amendment. It would next need to be considered by the full Senate, and if passed, by the House of Representatives, before it could be sent to the President.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on July 29, 2026.
Timeline
29 Jul 2026
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Common questions
- What does S. 2498 do?
- S. 2498, the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to extend certain existing leases within units of the National Park System without opening those leases to competitive bidding, as would otherwise be required under specific federal regulations (part 18 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations). To qualify, a lessee must have held the lease for at least five years before the extension takes effect and must be in compliance with its terms, and the Secretary must determine that extending the lease serves the best interests of managing the park unit. The bill also directs the Secretary to revise the relevant regulation within 90 days of enactment to reflect this new authority. The bill primarily affects businesses and other entities holding long-term leases for facilities or concessions within national parks, as well as the National Park Service, which would gain discretion to renew qualifying leases administratively rather than through a competitive process. It could also affect prospective bidders who would no longer have an opportunity to compete for those specific lease renewals. The bill was introduced by Senator Thom Tillis, with Senator Budd as a cosponsor, and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. As of the latest action, the committee has ordered the bill reported favorably with an amendment. It would next need to be considered by the full Senate, and if passed, by the House of Representatives, before it could be sent to the President.
- Has S. 2498 become law?
- Not yet. As of 29 Jul 2026, S. 2498 is ordered reported.
- Who sponsored S. 2498?
- S. 2498 was sponsored by Sen. Thom Tillis [R-NC] (Republican-NC), with 1 cosponsor.
- What's the latest action on S. 2498?
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. (29 Jul 2026).
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