Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act

To amend the Act of December 19, 1913 (38 Stat. 242), to expand access to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin areas for recreational purposes, and for other purposes.

  1. Introduced
  2. Committee
  3. Passed House
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To President
  6. Became law
Sponsor Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-5] Introduced January 3, 2025 Cosponsors 3 (3 R) Latest action September 10, 2026

Summary

Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act
This 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.

Summary by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

Congress.gov

Actions

  1. Sep 10, 2026 Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
  2. Jan 3, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
  3. Jan 3, 2025 Introduced in House

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