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S 1279

A bill to redesignate the Hulls Cove Visitor Center at Acadia National Park as the George J. Mitchell Visitor Center.

119th Congress Introduced by Susan Collins and 1 co-sponsor

Renames Acadia's Hulls Cove Visitor Center (and any future primary site) to the George J. Mitchell Visitor Center; all federal references switch to the new name - no funding.

Introduced in Senate
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 1279

Summary of S. 1279 — A bill to redesignate the Hulls Cove Visitor Center as the George J. Mitchell Visitor Center

Overview

  • Bill Number: S. 1279
  • Title: A bill to redesignate the Hulls Cove Visitor Center at Acadia National Park as the George J. Mitchell Visitor Center.
  • Introduced: April 3, 2025
  • Status: Introduced in the Senate; referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  • Sponsors: Primary sponsor — Sen. Angus S. King; Cosponsor — Sen. Susan M. Collins (both from Maine).

What the bill would do

  • Designate the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, located in Bar Harbor, Maine, at Acadia National Park (including any successor to that visitor center constructed after enactment that serves as the park’s primary visitor center) as the George J. Mitchell Visitor Center.
  • Clarify that any reference in federal law, maps, regulations, documents, papers, or other U.S. records to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center shall be deemed a reference to the George J. Mitchell Visitor Center.

Key provisions

  • Section (a): Establishes the renaming for the current Hulls Cove Visitor Center and any future primary visitor center at Acadia National Park built after enactment.
  • Section (b): Requires all legal references to the renamed center to be interpreted as referring to the George J. Mitchell Visitor Center.

Implementation considerations

  • No funding, construction, or operational changes are authorized by the bill itself; it is a naming designation.
  • Administrative tasks would include updating signage, maps, official documents, and other records to reflect the new name, ensuring consistency across regulations and references.

Affected parties and impact

  • Acadia National Park and the National Park Service would implement name changes in internal records, signage, and public materials.
  • Maine residents and visitors would encounter the renamed center in official materials and during visits.
  • The bill formalizes a commemoration of George J. Mitchell through the park’s primary visitor facility designation.

Legislative history and next steps

  • Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on April 3, 2025; introduced the same day.
  • If advanced by the committee, the bill would proceed through full Senate consideration, and then potentially to the House for action, before any enactment.

Bottom line

S. 1279 would officially rename the Hulls Cove Visitor Center at Acadia National Park, including any future primary visitor center that replaces it, to the George J. Mitchell Visitor Center and would require all federal references to reflect that name. The measure is a naming designation with no accompanying funding or construction provisions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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