The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) requires the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of the Interior, to make the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available to any United States citizen or person domiciled in the United States who has been medically determined to be permanently disabled for purposes of Section 7(20)(B)(i) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 705 (20)(B)(i)). The Act further requires that the applicant provide adequate proof of the disability and such citizenship or residency. The Act further describes that the Pass shall be valid for the lifetime of the pass holder.
The America the Beautiful-The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Access Pass (Interagency Access Pass) was created to meet the FLREA directive and will replace the Golden Access Passport. An Interagency Access Pass is a free, lifetime permit that is issued without charge by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Forest Service, and the National Park Service to citizens or persons who are domiciled (permanent residents) in the United States, regardless of age, and who have a medical determination and documentation of permanent disability. Furthermore, the Pass is to be non-transferable, issued without charge, and should entitle the permittee and any person accompanying him in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle, or alternatively, the permittee and 3 adults to enter with him where entry to the area is by any means other than private, non-commercial vehicle. The Pass is non-transferable and must be signed by the holder. This Pass also entitles the holder only to a 50 percent discount on some expanded amenity fees.
The Interagency Access Pass replaces the Golden Access Passport that was established in 1980 by an amendment to the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (L&WCFA) of 1965. Previously issued Golden Access Passports will remain valid for the lifetime of the Passport holder.
Information available to the general public through agency websites and publications will inform potential Pass applicants of the documentation requirements. However, there are instances where applicants learn about the Pass when arriving at a recreation site and do not have the required documentation available. For those instances, a fourth option is made available at recreation sites. If a person claims eligibility for the Access Pass but cannot produce any of the documentation outlined above, that person must read, sign, and date the Statement of Disability Form in the presence of the officer issuing the Pass. If the applicant cannot read and/or sign, someone else may read, date, and sign the statement on his/her behalf in the applicant's presence, and the presence of the officer issuing the Pass.
The requested information detailed above and Statement of Disability has been collected and used since the creation of the Golden Access Passport in 1980 to verify that the individual had been medically determined to have a permanent disability for the issuance of the Golden Access Passport under OMB control number 0596-0173, under the authority of the L&WCFA. This request would continue for the new Interagency Access Pass authorized by the FLREA.
The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act(FLREA) created the new America the Beautiful-The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Access Pass (Interagency Access Pass). This Pass replaces the Golden Access Passport and became available January 1, 2007. The FLREA requires applicants for this pass to be medically determined to be permanently disabled. In the initial consultations with the Department of the Interior Solicitor's Office, it was determined that the process for obtaining an Interagency Access Pass would not need to go through the Paperwork Reduction Act approval process. During subsequent consultations with the Solicitor's Office, it was determined that this was actually an information collection and that this request did need OMB clearance. These consultations occurred as the new program was being implemented, hence the need for emergency approval. In order to fulfill the requirements of the law, we request emergency clearance from OMB.
This program change was required by The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA). However, it is actually only a modest adjustment increase from the similar previous collection which was under an approval for the Forest Service (0596-0173), and which was discontinued as of 1/31/2007.
$95,119
No
No
Uncollected
Uncollected
Uncollected
Uncollected
Leonard Stowe 202 354-1924
Reginfo record details
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
The Interagency Access Pass Application Process
FLREA.pdf
SS Interagency Access Pass 041807.doc
The Interagency Access Pass Application Process