Constitution Index · H.J.Res. 60 · 2025-02-21
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Park Service relating to "Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: Motor Vehicles".
Latest official status (2025-05-23): Became Public Law No: 119-13.
Constitutional grade
A
Constitutional
HJRES 60, enacted as Public Law 119-13, is a constitutional exercise of congressional control over federal property. Under the Property Clause it vetoes an NPS motor-vehicle restriction at Glen Canyon, restores access, and violates no rights, sovereignty, or due process protections.
Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 Article I, Section 1 Article I, Section 7 Amendment I Amendment II Amendment IV Amendment IX Amendment X Amendment V
SI-generated grade · passed automated checks (real Constitution citation, language rules) · not individually reviewed by a person · methodology · Report an error: hello@valuesforamerica.com
The five checks
Enumerated powers · passes
Congress has explicit authority over federal land under Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2, the Property Clause, which grants Congress power to make all needful Rules respecting Territory or other Property belonging to the United States. The joint resolution also rests on Article I, Section 1 vesting legislative power and Article I, Section 7 presentment, executed through the Congressional Review Act. Disapproval of an NPS rule for Glen Canyon is squarely within that grant.
Bill of Rights · passes
The resolution infringes no provision of the first ten Amendments. It does not limit speech, religion, press, assembly or petition under the First Amendment, does not restrict arms under the Second Amendment, and authorizes no search, seizure or surveillance under the Fourth Amendment. It restores prior public access for recreation and therefore supports Ninth Amendment retained rights and Tenth Amendment reserved powers.
Individual liberty · passes
The measure does not restrict the person, property, speech, labor, or belief of any individual. It nullifies a January 13, 2025 NPS rule that had prohibited off-road vehicles on parts of Poison Spring Loop, Flint Trail, and lake shoreline routes, thereby expanding lawful recreational use. The burden on liberty is reduced, not increased, with no compelling-justification test triggered.
Decentralization · passes
Management of a federal recreation area is inherently federal because the land is owned by the United States. Individuals, counties, and states cannot unilaterally set motor-vehicle rules for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The resolution does not consolidate power upward; it uses congressional oversight under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to veto an agency rule and return discretion to statute and local park management, reducing centralized agency control.
Due process and takings · passes
No person is deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process under the Fifth Amendment, and no property is taken for public use. The Congressional Review Act process provides public enactment with presentment under Article I, Section 7. No retroactive penalty, no warrantless taking, and just compensation under the Fifth Amendment Takings Clause is not triggered.
Provenance
- Congress.gov: HJRES 60 summary · fetched 2026-10-08 · official page ↗
Version history · never overwritten
| Grade | Graded | Rubric | Source hash | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A · #204 | 2026-10-08 | vfa-constitutional-grade/1.0 | bd42fd263829 | current |
Cite this
Values for America. “Constitutional grade: H.J.Res. 60, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Park Service relating to "Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: Motor Vehicles"..” VFA Constitution Index, grade 204 (rubric vfa-constitutional-grade/1.0), graded October 8, 2026. https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution-index/grades/204. Accessed 2026-10-19.
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