Star-Spangled Summit Act of 2026
Introduced July 23, 2025 · Last action May 20, 2026
Plain English Summary
This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to issue a 10-year special use permit allowing someone in Utah County to install, maintain, and remove a flagpole bearing the U.S. flag at Kyhv Peak Lookout Point in the Uinta National Forest. The permit is free of land use fees and cost recovery fees, and the National Environmental Policy Act does not apply to its issuance or administration.
Who benefits
An individual in Utah County who has applied to display the flag at Kyhv Peak prior to March 5, 2026, or who has engaged in a longstanding seasonal flag-displaying practice at the peak; if neither declines, a Utah County-based nonprofit organization, volunteer organization, or resident with flagpole experience.
Who pays / loses
The U.S. Forest Service bears the administrative cost of processing and managing the special use permit; the federal government foregoes land use fees and cost recovery fees that would normally be assessed under Forest Service regulations.
Funding & Lobbying Interests
No financial interests directly lobby on flagpole permits. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-UT-3), received $221,413 in contributions categorized as 'Other' during the 2024 cycle, with no PAC contributions. The bill benefits a specific Utah County individual or nonprofit with no apparent commercial stake. This appears to be constituent-service legislation responding to a local practice rather than a bill driven by organized financial interests.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
A single individual or nonprofit organization in Utah County, Utah, who will gain a rent-free, fee-free permit to maintain a flagpole at a national forest peak. The Uinta National Forest and nearby Utah Valley residents may experience minor effects from flagpole maintenance activities and permitted access to Kyhv Peak Lookout Point.
Political Subtext
Proponents frame this as honoring patriotic local tradition by codifying and protecting a seasonal flag display practice at a scenic overlook. The bill removes standard environmental review (NEPA) and eliminates typical federal fees, treating flag maintenance as a matter beyond normal regulatory process. Critics might note that the bill bypasses standard federal land-use procedures and environmental review that apply to other special use permits, creates a specific carve-out for one location and one practice, and exempts the activity from fees other users pay. The legislative history does not reveal significant debate or opposition in the record provided.
Real-World Stakes
If passed, a flagpole bearing the U.S. flag will be legally maintained at Kyhv Peak Lookout Point for at least 10 years without federal fees or environmental review. The permit holder gains legal certainty for an activity that apparently occurs seasonally and has occurred informally for years. The Forest Service avoids potential conflicts over whether the flag display violates special use permit requirements or public lands policies. No federal revenue is collected. The exemption from NEPA means no environmental assessment occurs for flagpole installation, maintenance, or removal—an atypical carve-out that sidesteps the environmental review process applied to most special use permits on national forest land. Real-world precedent is limited; federal law does not routinely grant blanket NEPA exemptions for specific structures on public lands.
What's Inside This Bill
Non-obvious provisions not apparent from the headline summary.
NEPA Exemption for Forest Service Actions
The bill explicitly exempts the Secretary of Agriculture from conducting an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act for issuing, administering, or any actions related to this permit.
AffectsEnvironmental groups, tribal nations, and local communities who would normally have opportunity to comment on and challenge Forest Service decisions through the NEPA public process; also affects future precedent for other similar permits that might cite this exemption.
Waiver of All Forest Service Cost Recovery
The permit holder is exempted from paying not only standard land use fees but also cost recovery fees—meaning the Forest Service cannot charge for administrative costs of processing, monitoring, or maintaining oversight of the permit.
AffectsNational Forest budgets and the principle of permit applicants bearing their share of agency administrative burden; creates a financial precedent for future flagpole or monument permits in national forests.
Mandatory Permit Issuance Without Discretion
The bill uses directive language ('shall issue') rather than permissive language, requiring the Secretary to grant this permit rather than allowing discretionary denial based on Forest Service regulations or national forest management plans.
AffectsThe Secretary of Agriculture's ability to apply standard permitting criteria; establishes that Congress, not agency professionals, has made the decision about land use at this specific location.
Sponsor
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
Top contributing industries
Other$221,413.03
Healthcare$27,192.67
Finance$18,102.61
Law$2,041.02
Defense$260.25
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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