Bill would let the Gateway Arch Park Foundation host private events at the Arch park under a pilot deal

The Interior Secretary may enter a one-time agreement of up to five years with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation to host private events at Gateway Arch National Park. The events may use park buildings, which include the Arch Visitor Center, the Old Courthouse, and other public park buildings. The Foundation is the nonprofit philanthropic partner of the park. The agreement may last up to five years.

The agreement must include terms to protect the park, including set dates and times when the Foundation may be the only group holding a special event in named buildings, and a monthly cap on events. It must also set National Park Service staffing levels for safety and resource protection, require liability insurance naming the United States as additionally insured, and say the federal government is not liable for injuries or deaths from the Foundation's use of the buildings. The agreement must allow terms to be modified or canceled, but any change must still meet the first four required terms. The Secretary may add other terms.

Private events under the agreement must fit the park's purposes and National Park Service programs, and must not harm the park's integrity or appearance. Events cannot take place at times or in places that prevent or disrupt public use of or access to the park or its buildings.

The Secretary must charge a fee to cover wear and tear from the private events. The Secretary may also recover all costs of the events and use of the park. Recoverable costs include maintenance, utilities, administrative expenses, security, and personnel costs.

The authority to make or carry out an agreement with the Foundation ends 7 years after the bill becomes law, and any existing agreement ends then too. The Secretary must send the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee a report on how the agreement affected visitor access, security, staffing, facilities, fees collected, and costs recovered. The report is due within 4 years after the bill becomes law.