To prohibit the study or implementation of any plan to privatize, divest, or transfer any part of the mission, function, or responsibility of the National Park Service.

June 26, 2003

Mr. REID introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

To prohibit the study or implementation of any plan to privatize, divest, or transfer any part of the mission, function, or responsibility of the National Park Service.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PARK PROFESSIONALS PROTECTION.

(a) SHORT TITLE- This Act may be cited as the `Park Professionals Protection Act'.

(b) FINDINGS- Congress finds the following:

(1) The National Park System is recognized throughout the world as a model for the conservation and enjoyment of natural, scenic, recreational, cultural, and historic resources.

(2) The National Park System would never have achieved such status, nor could the system maintain such status, without the professionalism, dedication, and passion of the men and women of the National Park Service.

(3) Current plans to privatize thousands of jobs within the National Park Service ignore the unique contributions made by the men and women of the National Park Service and threaten to undermine the entire National Park System.

(4) Scarce park operations and maintenance resources are being diverted to pay private consultants to study the current privatization scheme. According to the National Park Service, these studies cost approximately $3000 for each position proposed to be privatized.

(5) Despite the millions of taxpayer dollars diverted to these studies, not a single report has been published documenting any cost savings to be generated by the privatization of park operations.

(6) The current privatization scheme raises serious questions regarding the ability of temporary workers, provided by the lowest bidder, to adequately fulfill the responsibilities of professional National Park Service employees in the areas of conservation, interpretation, emergency fire and rescue, and homeland security.

(7) The current privatization scheme appears to affect minority employees disproportionately, threatening to significantly reduce the number of minority employees within the National Park Service.

(8) Pendency of the current privatization scheme is having detrimental impacts on the morale of current employees and is discouraging high quality candidates from applying for positions within the National Park Service.

(c) PROHIBITION- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary is prohibited from studying or implementing any plan to privatize, divest, or transfer any part of what is, as of the date of the enactment of this section, the mission, function, or responsibility of the National Park Service.

(d) REALLOCATION OF FUNDS- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall withhold any funds currently dedicated to the activities prohibited under subsection (c) and shall reallocate those funds to the operations and maintenance accounts within the National Park Service.

(e) NO EFFECT ON CERTAIN PLANS- Nothing in this section shall affect the authority, as of the date of the enactment of this section, of a National Park Service Superintendent to develop and implement concessions management plans and commercial services plans covering, in whole or in part, the area managed by that Superintendent.

(f) SECRETARY DEFINED- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior and any person employed by the Secretary of the Interior in any capacity.

END