H.R. 177 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Natural Resources, Jan 3, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryYosemite dam rent increases sharply
Back in 1913, San Francisco got permission to dam Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park to create a water and power supply. This bill updates that old agreement by raising the annual payment San Francisco makes to the National Park Service from $30,000 to $2 million a year, with that amount adjusted annually for inflation. The bill also requires the National Park Service to open up the reservoir and nearby areas for public recreation while protecting their scenic and historic qualities.
How it affects you
If you visit Yosemite National Park, you'd gain more public access to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor for recreation. San Francisco residents and water customers won't see increased water bills as a result of this higher payment. The increased funding could support wildfire protection in Yosemite and other California national parks.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 3, 2025)
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.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 177
A BILL
Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act
Sponsor: Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA-5) · Introduced Jan 3, 2025 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 10, 2026: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.”