To amend the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to provide access to certain…

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.)

(Sec. 1) This bill amends the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act with respect to the prohibition against the use of Highway 209, a federally owned road within the boundaries of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Pennsylvania, by certain commercial vehicles except as they serve businesses located within or in the vicinity of the recreation area.

The local business use exception to the prohibition is revised to permit, until September 30, 2021, the use of commercial vehicles with four or fewer axles that are: (1) owned and operated by a business located in the recreation area or one or more adjacent municipalities, or (2) necessary to provide services to businesses or persons located in the recreation area or one or more such municipalities.

The adjacent municipalities referred to are Delaware Township, Dingman Township, Lehman Township, Matamoras Borough, Middle Smithfield Township, Milford Borough, Milford Township, Smithfield Township, and Westfall Township in Pennsylvania.

The Department of the Interior shall establish a fee and permit program for the use of Highway 209 by commercial vehicles, including an annual fee of up to $200 per vehicle. All fees received shall be set aside in a special account and be available for the administration and enforcement of the program, including registering vehicles, issuing permits and vehicle identification stickers, and personnel costs.

The following vehicles may use Highway 209 without a fee or permit requirement:

• local school buses;
• fire, ambulance, and other safety and emergency vehicles; and
• commercial vehicles along specified segments of the highway.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov