WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Vice Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the top Democrat overseeing funding for the National Park Service, introduced the Prohibit Partisan Park Passes Act. The bill is straightforward legislation that would explicitly prohibit the National Park Service from issuing America the Beautiful Passes – physical or digital – with the image or likeness of any living political figures. The legislation is in response to the Trump Administration placing President Trump’s face on America the Beautiful Passes in January of this year.
“National Parks are shared national treasures, not political props for self-promotion. As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, our National Park Service should be focused on uplifting the stories of our treasured and historic public lands – not amplifying individuals or deepening partisan divides. The Prohibit Partisan Park Passes Act will ensure personal or partisan interests don’t overshadow the centuries of dedication that have gone into conserving our national treasures and shared history,” said Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth.
“President Trump slapping his face on annual park passes is an authoritarian gesture worthy of a king or dictator. He’s hijacking our beloved public treasures for shameless, un-American self-promotion,” said Senator Merkley, the top Democrat overseeing funding for the National Park Service in the Senate. “The non-partisan National Park Service serves all Americans, but Trump once again has unnecessarily politicized government services while potentially breaking the law as well. We must ensure our beloved national treasures remain well-maintained and free of partisan propaganda for generations to come.”
The America the Beautiful Park Pass was first authorized under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) of 2004 to modernize and standardize entry passes for all federally managed lands across our country, including national parks, national monuments, national forests, and more. Since its creation, the passes have never featured the image or likeness of any living political figure. However, on January 1, 2026, the Department of the Interior began issuing America the Beautiful Passes that included an image of President Trump.
This decision sparked national outrage, with the Center for Biological Diversity filing a lawsuit in December to challenge the legality of this action under the FLREA, which requires America the Beautiful Park Passes to feature the winning photo of the National Parks Foundation’s annual public lands photo contest. Rather than complying with federal policy or precedent, the DOI updated its policy to void passes that cover the President’s image.
This bill is supported by the Center for Biological Diversity, Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund, and the Wilderness Society.
“The America the Beautiful Pass should celebrate our country’s iconic natural heritage, not Trump’s ego,” said Kierán Suckling, Executive Director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Rep. Elfreth’s bill defends the apolitical tradition of our nation’s public lands. Our national parks and wildlife should be celebrated and not used to promote any politician’s agenda or narcissism.”
Earlier this month, Senator Merkley led his colleagues in sounding the alarm over the Trump Administration’s so-called “modernization” plans for national park access, including several alarming partisan, polarizing initiatives that undermine the spirit of public lands for all.
The legislation is co-sponsored by Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Eleanor Norton (DC-AL), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mike Quigley (IL-05), and Shri Thanedar (MI-13). In the Senate this legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The full bill text is available HERE.
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