Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act

House Bill

H.R. 177

119th Congress

Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act

In Committee

Introduced:Jan 3, 2025

Primary Sponsor

H. Morgan Griffith

Representative

Republican

VA-9

Cosponsors

3

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary

This bill increases the rent San Francisco pays from 30,000 dollars to 2 million dollars annually for using Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park. It also requires expanded public recreational access to the reservoir and surrounding areas.

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

SponsorH. Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

Introduced1/3/2025

StatusReferred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

ChamberHouse

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act

This bill increases the rent San Francisco pays from 30,000 dollars to 2 million dollars annually for using Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park. It also requires expanded public recreational access to the reservoir and surrounding areas.

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill increases the rent San Francisco pays from 30,000 dollars to 2 million dollars annually for using Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park. It also requires expanded public recreational access to the reservoir and surrounding areas.

Bill Number: 177
Sponsor: H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
Introduced: 1/3/2025
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Policy Area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act
Bill Number: 177
Sponsor: H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced: 1/3/2025
Summary: This bill increases the rent San Francisco pays from 30,000 dollars to 2 million dollars annually for using Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park. It also requires expanded public recreational access to the reservoir and surrounding areas.

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill increases the rent San Francisco pays from 30,000 dollars to 2 million dollars annually for using Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park. It also requires expanded public recreational access to the reservoir and surrounding areas.

Last updated: 1/5/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness ActThis bill modifies the Raker Act, which allowed San Francisco to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley within Yosemite National Park, to (1) increase the annual rent San Francisco pays to the National Park Service (NPS), and (2) direct the NPS to expand public access to the reservoir and lake created by the dam.Specifically, the bill increases rent paid by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for the use of the park from $30,000 to $2 million per year. That amount must be adjusted annually to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The commission may not recoup such sums from wholesale water or power customers. The bill allows collected rent to be used by the Department of the Interior for wildfire mitigation activities in the park and other national parks in California.The bill also requires the NPS to administer the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas for public recreation, benefit, and use in a manner that will preserve scenic, historic, scientific, or otherwise important features.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Increases Hetch Hetchy rent to 2 million dollars annually
Requires expanded public access to reservoir
Funds can be used for California wildfire mitigation
Adjusts rent for inflation annually
San Francisco cannot pass costs to water customers

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

San Francisco would pay significantly more for its water rights in Yosemite, with funds supporting wildfire prevention. The public would also gain better recreational access to Hetch Hetchy, a scenic area within the national park.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Related Subjects

California

Congressional oversight

Fires

Forests, forestry, trees

Lakes and rivers

Land use and conservation

Outdoor recreation

Parks, recreation areas, trails

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

177, 119th Congress (2025). "Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-177