Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73not60

§8451 Connect Our Parks

Title 16 › Chapter 103— EXPANDING PUBLIC LANDS OUTDOOR RECREATION EXPERIENCES › Subchapter I— OUTDOOR RECREATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE › Part D— Broadband Connectivity on Federal Recreational Lands and Waters › § 8451

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior, through the National Park Service Director, must check National Parks within 1 year after January 4, 2025 to find where broadband internet and cellular service are most needed. For broadband, the check must look at service in housing, park offices and related buildings, lodging, developed campgrounds, and any other park spots the park superintendent says are necessary. For cellular service, the check must look at developed areas where better signal would improve access to emergency help, traveler information, or park staff communications. The results must be sent to four Congressional committees (Senate Energy and Natural Resources; Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation; House Natural Resources; House Energy and Commerce) and posted on the Department of the Interior website. Using that check, the Secretary must make a plan within 3 years after January 4, 2025 to install broadband and cellular equipment in chosen park locations. The plan must include consultation with affected Indian Tribes and local stakeholders, try to avoid or reduce harm to park views, cultural and natural resources, visitor experience, and historic places, place equipment in already disturbed or developed sites or appropriately zoned areas, encourage public‑private partnerships to build and run the networks, be technology neutral, and require broadband of at least 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. The plan does not have to cover any park where the superintendent says service is already adequate.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §8451

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section:

(1)The term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—

(A)the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate;

(B)the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;

(C)the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and

(D)the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.

(2)The term “broadband internet access service” has the meaning given the term in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation).

(3)The term “cellular service” has the meaning given the term in section 22.99 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation).

(4)The term “National Park” means a unit of the National Park System.

(5)The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service.

(b)(1)Not later than 1 year after January 4, 2025, the Secretary shall complete an assessment of National Parks to identify—

(A)locations in National Parks in which there is the greatest need for broadband internet access service, based on the considerations described in paragraph (2)(A); and

(B)areas in National Parks in which there is the greatest need for cellular service, based on the considerations described in paragraph (2)(B).

(2)(A)For purposes of identifying locations in National Parks under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall consider, with respect to each National Park, the availability of broadband internet access service in—

(i)housing;

(ii)administrative facilities and related structures;

(iii)lodging;

(iv)developed campgrounds; and

(v)any other location within the National Park in which broadband internet access service is determined to be necessary by the superintendent of the National Park.

(B)For purposes of identifying areas in National Parks under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall consider, with respect to each National Park, the availability of cellular service in any developed area within the National Park that would increase—

(i)the access of the public to emergency services and traveler information technologies; or

(ii)the communications capabilities of National Park Service employees.

(3)On completion of the assessment under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress, and make available on the website of the Department of the Interior, a report describing the results of the assessment.

(c)(1)Not later than 3 years after January 4, 2025, the Secretary shall develop a plan, based on the results of the assessment completed under subsection (b) and subject to paragraph (4)—

(A)to install broadband internet access service infrastructure in certain locations in National Parks; and

(B)to install cellular service equipment and infrastructure in certain areas of National Parks.

(2)In developing the plan under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with—

(A)affected Indian Tribes; and

(B)local stakeholders that the superintendent of the applicable National Park determines to be appropriate.

(3)The plan developed under paragraph (1) shall—

(A)provide for avoiding or minimizing impacts to—

(i)National Park viewsheds;

(ii)cultural and natural resources;

(iii)the visitor experience;

(iv)historic properties and the viewsheds of historic properties; and

(v)other resources or values of the National Park.

(B)provide for infrastructure providing broadband internet access service or cellular service to be located in—

(i)previously disturbed or developed areas; or

(ii)areas zoned for uses that would support the infrastructure;

(C)provide for the use of public-private partnerships—

(i)to install broadband internet access service or cellular service equipment; and

(ii)to provide broadband internet access service or cellular service;

(D)be technology neutral; and

(E)in the case of broadband internet access service, provide for broadband internet access service of at least—

(i)a 100–Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and

(ii)a 20–Mbps upstream transmission capacity.

(4)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a plan developed under that paragraph shall not be required to address broadband internet access service or cellular service in any National Park with respect to which the superintendent of the National Park determines that there is adequate access to broadband internet access service or cellular service, as applicable.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 8451

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60