H.R. 5729 — North Rim Restoration Act

This section defines, for purposes of the Act, "covered area" as the areas within Grand Canyon National Park impacted by the Dragon Bravo Fire and "Secretary" as the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service.

This section authorizes the Secretary to use emergency acquisition flexibilities under part 18 of title 48, Code of Federal Regulations (i.e., increased micro-purchase thresholds from $10,000 to $250,000, simplified acquisition thresholds from $250,000 to $750,000 or higher, and other disaster-related contracting shortcuts), without a presidential emergency or disaster declaration, for contracts in the covered area for (1) forest management or restoration activities in response to the Dragon Bravo Fire, (2) rebuilding, planning, development, and design of structures affected by the fire, (3) improvements to grounds and structures, (4) recovery efforts, and (5) any activity listed in section 4(a). (Thus, this enables faster procurement for National Park Service recovery at sites such as Grand Canyon National Park.) The section directs the Secretary to submit reports every 180 days, beginning 180 days after first using the authority and continuing until 180 days after expiration, to specified House and Senate committees on recovery expenditures for the Dragon Bravo Fire—including expected and actual costs, overruns, under-budget contracts, contractors, conflicts of interest, waste or abuse detected, estimated completion dates, and any need for extension. The section allows the Secretary to request a 12-month extension of the authority if a new wildfire in the covered area impacts Dragon Bravo Fire recovery efforts, subject to congressional approval. The authority expires on the earlier of 7 years after enactment or Secretary-determined completion of projects and recovery efforts in the covered area.

This section authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into noncompetitive contracts, notwithstanding competitive procurement requirements, for the planning, design, repair, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, stabilization, replacement, or operation of assets supporting recovery and reopening of Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim. Covered assets include (1) employee housing and related facilities, (2) water, wastewater, power, communications, and other utility systems, (3) visitor-facing facilities and infrastructure such as lodging, food service, retail, transportation, and associated public-use facilities, and (4) maintenance, administration, and other back-of-house assets necessary for safe and continuous North Rim operations. The authority requires a written determination by the Secretary that the concessioner holding a valid contract for North Rim operations as of enactment is uniquely positioned due to its operational responsibilities, site access, infrastructure integration, or continuity needs, and that noncompetitive procedures are necessary for public health and safety, park resource protection, or essential service continuity. The authority expires seven years after enactment, applies separately from existing concession contracts under 54 U.S.C. §101913 (which do not modify, amend, extend, or confer leasehold surrender interests or other benefits), and does not authorize noncompetitive concession contracts (while preserving the Secretary's discretion to use competitive procedures if in the United States' best interest).