Endless Mountains National Heritage Area Act | ChamberLight

REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS

Senate BillS 4238Historic sites and heritage areasLand use and conservation

Endless Mountains National Heritage Area Act

This bill recognizes the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania as a National Heritage Area, giving local groups federal support to protect their history and natural beauty.AI-written

INTRO MAR 26· LAST ACTION JUL 29

READING

2MIN

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Introduced only

tl;dr

AI-written

Designates four Pennsylvania counties as the Endless Mountains National Heritage Area, providing 15 years of federal funding and National Park Service expertise to boost local tourism and preserve regional history.

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 3 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

Voters should care because this bill provides a path for rural economic development without the heavy hand of federal land ownership. By promoting the region's unique history and natural landscapes, the bill aims to boost tourism—a major industry for rural Pennsylvania—and create jobs in hospitality and recreation.

Without this law, the local non-profit managing the area would have to rely solely on state or private funding, which is often limited. With this law, the region gains a 15-year window of federal support to create a long-term plan for preserving its culture and environment for future generations.

KEY PROVISIONS

4AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

Designates the Endless Mountains National Heritage Area

This is the core action that allows the region to join a prestigious national network and access federal assistance.

PROVISION 02

Names the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, Inc. as the local coordinating entity

It ensures that a local organization, rather than a federal agency, is responsible for making decisions and handling funds.

PROVISION 03

Requires a management plan within three years

This forces local leaders to create a clear roadmap for how they will use federal resources to improve the region.

PROVISION 04

Sets a 15-year limit on federal assistance

It establishes a clear timeline for federal support, after which the area is expected to be self-sustaining.

SPONSORSHIP

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COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%

DEM 1 REP 0 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

6 EVENTS

JUL 29

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

COMMITTEE

JUL 21

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.

COMMITTEE

MAR 26

Introduced in Senate

INTROREFERRAL

MAR 26

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

INTROREFERRAL

BILL INFO

TypeSenate Bill

NumberS 4238

Congress119th

StatusReported

IntroducedMar 26, 2026

Last actionJul 29, 2026

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REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS · ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED MAR 26, 2026

Senate BillS 4238Historic sites and heritage areasLand use and conservation

Endless Mountains National Heritage Area Act

This bill recognizes the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania as a National Heritage Area, giving local groups federal support to protect their history and natural beauty.AI-written

INTRODUCED MAR 26, 2026· LAST ACTION JUL 29, 2026

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

2 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Simple

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 3 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law

tl;dr

AI-written

READING TIME

2 min

WORDS

476

Read full bill (PDF) ↗

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Designates the Endless Mountains National Heritage Area

This is the core action that allows the region to join a prestigious national network and access federal assistance.

med

Names the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, Inc. as the local coordinating entity

It ensures that a local organization, rather than a federal agency, is responsible for making decisions and handling funds.

med

Requires a management plan within three years

This forces local leaders to create a clear roadmap for how they will use federal resources to improve the region.

low

Sets a 15-year limit on federal assistance

It establishes a clear timeline for federal support, after which the area is expected to be self-sustaining.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

Within 3 years of enactment

Submit a proposed management plan to the Secretary of the Interior

15 years after enactment

Termination of the Secretary's authority to provide financial assistance

GLOSSARY

AI-written

National Heritage Area: A place designated by Congress where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape.
Local Coordinating Entity: A local organization (usually a non-profit) responsible for managing the heritage area and overseeing federal funds.
Feasibility Study: An evaluation conducted to determine if an area has the necessary resources and local support to be designated as a National Heritage Area.
Secretary of the Interior: The head of the federal department that oversees the National Park Service and manages most federal land and natural resources.

ACTION TIMELINE

6 EVENTS

JUL 29

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

COMMITTEE

JUL 21

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.

COMMITTEE

MAR 26

Introduced in Senate

INTROREFERRAL

MAR 26

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

INTROREFERRAL

READER REACTIONS

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MORE INFORMATION

Committee Referrals

Energy and Natural Resources CommitteeReferred

Jul 29, 2026

senate

Related Hearings

Business meeting to consider S.365 and H.R.1729, bills to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to allow for additional entities to be eligible to complete the maintenance work on Bolts Ditch and the Bolts Ditch Headgate within the Holy Cross Wilderness, Colorado, S.764, to provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of Colorado, S.791, to establish the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in the State of Maryland as an affiliated area of the National Park System, S.888, to designate certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in the State of Oregon as wilderness and national recreation areas, to withdraw certain land located in Curry County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, S.945, to amend the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to include certain additions to the Smith River National Recreation Area, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain wild rivers in the State of Oregon, S.1005, to provide for conservation and economic development in the State of Nevada, S.1088, to provide that the memorial to commemorate the sacrifice and service of the women who worked on the home front to support the efforts of the United States military during World War II may be located on the National Mall, S.1195, to promote conservation, improve public land management, and provide for sensible development in Pershing County, Nevada, S.1257, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to authorize the use of funds for certain additional Carey Act projects, S.1341, to amend the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 to add certain land to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, S.1349, to withdraw the National Forest System land in the Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the National Wildlife Refuge System land in Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Elko and White Pine Counties, Nevada, from operation under the mineral leasing laws, S.1476, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Gila River system in the State of New Mexico as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico, S.1737, to designate and expand wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild and scenic rivers, S.1777, to amend the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 to expand the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park, to redesignate the Cottonwood Visitor Center at Joshua Tree National Park as the "Dianne Feinstein Visitor Center", S.1870, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, S.2498, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to extend certain leases within units of the National Park System without opening the lease to bidding, S.2767 and H.R.5254, bills to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation to host private events in Gateway Arch National Park buildings, S.2801, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the Canterbury Shaker Village National Heritage Area, S.2887, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Route 66 National Historic Trail, S.2933, to redesignate a playground in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in the State of West Virginia as the "Hearts of Gold Playground: In Honor of West Virginia Children and Families Impacted by Childhood Cancer", S.2968, to ensure access to certain public land, S.3194, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain land in California as the Monterey Bay National Heritage Area, S.3313 and H.R.6365, bills to require the Secretary of the Interior to issue a right-of-way for an emergency exit on certain National Park Service land in the State of Virginia, S.3409, to reaffirm that the Bureau of Reclamation retains exclusive ownership, operational control, and financial responsibility for the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel, ensuring long-term conservation of the endangered pallid sturgeon and other native aquatic species in the Yellowstone River while protecting the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project and District from undue financial and operational burdens, S.3635 and H.R. 7250, bills to reauthorize the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000, S.3715 and H.R.6380, bills to establish the Chiricahua N

Energy and Natural Resources Committee (senate)Jul 29, 2026

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Endless Mountains National Heritage Area Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

SPONSORSHIP

ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

Endless Mountains National Heritage Area Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

SPONSORS

READER REACTIONS

What do you think?

Discussion

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