Collins, Shaheen Introduce Amendment To Expand Access To National Parks For Disabled Veterans

Washington, DC– U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today introduced an amendment to bipartisan sportsmen’s legislation to make all veterans with a service-connected disability eligible for a free, lifetime pass allowing entry to National Parks and other recreational lands and waters held by the United States. Collins' and Shaheen's amendment is based on the bipartisan Wounded Veterans Recreation Act the Senators introduced in May, which would amend the decade-old Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) to give eligible veterans a lifetime parks pass.

“Each of our service-disabled veterans, no matter his or her injury, deserves the opportunity to enjoy the soil they fought to protect and for which they have sacrificed,” Shaheen said. “As we are considering legislation surrounding sportsmen and recreational opportunities, it is only appropriate that we think of our wounded veterans and give them lifetime access to the national treasures we want them to enjoy.”

“As the Senate considers the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act, it is fitting that we also ensure that all our wounded veterans have access to the free, lifetime pass to enjoy our national parks and federal recreational lands,” said Collins.

The amendment introduced today would specifically amend the 2004 FLREA law which specifies that veterans need to be classified as having a 100 percent permanent disability by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in order to be eligible for a free National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.

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