Amata Cosponsors VIP Act That Honors Veterans

Washington, D.C.- Thursday, Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata is a cosponsor of bipartisan legislation that honors Veterans with free lifetime access to all U.S. National Parks. The Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act is a bipartisan bill that honors the nation's service members, veterans, and Gold Star families as VIPs in National Parks and other public lands. The bill is led by Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).

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Currently, the public can purchase annual America the Beautiful passes that allow entry to all parks for one year. The VIP Act works by providing these annual America the Beautiful Passes for free to current military service members, and free lifetime America the Beautiful Passes to veterans and members of Gold Star Families.

"I'm delighted to cosponsor the VIP Act to honor those serving, those who served, and Gold Star families who lost a loved one in service to the United States," said Congresswoman Amata. "This a national way to say thank you, and show you honor as a VIP in the nation's federally protected beautiful places. Thank you to Congresswoman Dr. Miller-Meeks and Congressman Gallego for introducing the VIP Act."

"As a 24-year Army veteran, I understand the sacrifices made by our military and their loved ones," said Congresswoman Miller-Meeks. "We owe so much to our amazing service members, veterans, and their families; my Veterans In Parks Act is the least we can do. Our legislation would give service members, veterans, and our Gold Star families free passes to all of our beautiful national parks and federal lands for life. I am proud to work with such a great bipartisan group of members on this commonsense issue to support those who sacrifice so much for our freedoms."

The America the Beautiful pass is an access ticket to over 2,000 places spanning National Parks, National Forests, and Wildlife refugees, which fall under different federal agencies and departments. The National Parks system has 423 sites including 63 Parks, along with trails, historical sites, monuments, and memorials. These sites are preserved for national value based on scenery, special geographic features, history, or plant and wildlife conservation. Some Parks, such as the National Park of American Samoa, are generally free to access, but many locations have fees or passes applied per car or for parking. The America the Beautiful pass covers those entry expenses.

Last year, under President Trump and kept in place by President Biden, the administration made America the Beautiful yearly access free for Veterans and Gold Star families, now the VIP Act takes it a step further by extending it to lifetime passes, making the change permanent, and codifying it in law.