Admission and special recreation use fees

54 U.S.C. § 100904
in effect
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(a) System Units at Which Entrance Fees or Admissions Fees Cannot Be Collected.—(1) Withholding of amounts.—Notwithstanding section 107 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 (Public Law 105–83, 111 Stat. 1561), the Secretary shall withhold from the special account under section 807(a) of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6806(a)) 100 percent of the fees and charges collected in connection with any System unit at which entrance fees or admission fees cannot be collected by reason of deed restrictions. (2) Use of amounts.—Amounts withheld under paragraph (1) shall be retained by the Secretary and shall be available, without further appropriation, for expenditure by the Secretary for the System unit with respect to which the amounts were collected for the purposes of enhancing the quality of the visitor experience, protection of resources, repair and maintenance, interpretation, signage, habitat or facility enhancement, resource preservation, annual operation (including fee collection), maintenance, and law enforcement. (b) Allocation of Funds to System Units.—(1) Allocation of funds on basis of need.—Ten percent of the funds made available to the Director under subsection (a) in each fiscal year shall be allocated among System units on the basis of need in a manner to be determined by the Director. (2) Allocation of funds based on expenses and based on fees collected.—(A) In general.—Forty percent of the funds made available to the Director under subsection (a) in each fiscal year shall be allocated among System units in accordance with subparagraph (B) of this subsection and 50 percent shall be allocated in accordance with subparagraph (C). (B) Allocation based on expenses.—The amount allocated to each System unit under this paragraph for each fiscal year based on expenses shall be a fraction of the total allocation to all System units under this paragraph. The fraction for each System unit shall be determined by dividing the operating expenses at that System unit during the prior fiscal year by the total operating expenses at all System units during the prior fiscal year. (C) Allocation based on fees collected.—The amount allocated to each System unit under this paragraph for each fiscal year based on fees collected shall be a fraction of the total allocation to all System units under this paragraph. The fraction for each System unit shall be determined by dividing the user fees and admission fees collected under this section at that System unit during the prior fiscal year by the total of user fees and admission fees collected under this section at all System units during the prior fiscal year. (3) Availability of amounts.—Amounts allocated under this subsection to any System unit for any fiscal year and not expended in that fiscal year shall remain available for expenditure at that System unit until expended. (c) Selling of Permits.—(1) Authority to sell permits.—When authorized by the Secretary, volunteers at System units may sell permits and collect fees authorized or established pursuant to this section. The Secretary shall ensure that the volunteers have adequate training regarding—(A) the sale of permits and the collection of fees; (B) the purposes and resources of the System units in which they are assigned; and (C) the provision of assistance and information to visitors to the System unit. (2) Surety bond required.—The Secretary shall require a surety bond for any such volunteer performing services under this subsection. Funds available to the Service may be used to cover the cost of the surety bond. The Secretary may enter into arrangements with qualified public or private entities pursuant to which the entities may sell (without cost to the United States) annual admission permits (including Golden Eagle Passports) at any appropriate location. The arrangements shall require each such entity to reimburse the United States for the full amount to be received from the sale of the permits at or before the Secretary delivers the permits to the entity for sale. (d) Charge for Transportation Provided by Service for Viewing System Units.—(1) Charge when transportation provided.—Where the Service provides transportation to view all or a portion of any System unit, the Director may impose a charge for the service in lieu of an admission fee under this section. (2) Retention of charge and use of retained amount.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, half of the charges imposed under paragraph (1) shall be retained by the System unit at which the service was provided. The remainder shall be deposited in the same manner as receipts from fees collected pursuant to this section. Fifty percent of the amount retained shall be expended only for maintenance of transportation systems at the System unit where the charge was imposed. The remaining 50 percent of the retained amount shall be expended only for activities related to resource protection at those System units. (e) Admission Fees.—Where the primary public access to a System unit is provided by a concessioner, the Secretary may charge an admission fee at the System unit only to the extent that the total of the fee charged by the concessioner for access to the System unit and the admission fee does not exceed the maximum amount of the admission fee that could otherwise be imposed. (f) Commercial Tour Use Fees.—(1) Establishment.—In the case of each System unit for which an admission fee is charged under this section, the Secretary shall establish a commercial tour use fee to be imposed on each vehicle entering the System unit for the purpose of providing commercial tour services within the System unit. (2) Amount.—The Secretary shall establish the amount of fee per entry as follows:(A) Twenty-five dollars per vehicle with a passenger capacity of 25 individuals or less. (B) Fifty dollars per vehicle with a passenger capacity of more than 25 individuals. (3) Adjustments.—The Secretary may periodically make reasonable adjustments to the commercial tour use fee imposed under this subsection. (4) Nonapplicability.—The commercial tour use fee imposed under this subsection shall not apply to the following:(A) Any vehicle transporting organized school groups or outings conducted for educational purposes by schools or other bona fide educational institutions. (B) Any vehicle entering a System unit pursuant to a contract issued under subchapter II of chapter 1019 of this title. (5) Applicability.—This subsection shall apply to aircraft entering the airspace of—(A) Haleakala̅ Crater, Crater Cabins, the Scientific Research Reserve, Halemauu Trail, Kaupo Gap Trail, or any designated tourist viewpoint in Haleakala̅ National Park or of Grand Canyon National Park; or (B) any other System unit for the specific purpose of providing commercial tour services if the Secretary determines that the level of the services is equal to or greater than the level at the System units specified in subparagraph (A).

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