119th (2025–2027)
S. 1288
This bill creates the Finger Lakes National Heritage Area in New York State, covering fourteen counties including Cayuga, Seneca, Tompkins, and Ontario, among others. It designates the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance as the local organization responsible for coordinating the heritage area's activities and preservation efforts. Within three years of the law taking effect, this coordinating entity must submit a management plan to the Secretary of the Interior for approval, outlining how the area's historical, cultural, and natural resources will be protected and promoted. Federal support and funding authority for the heritage area will automatically end fifteen years after the bill becomes law. This designation primarily benefits the region's tourism industry, local communities, and efforts to preserve the area's historical and natural heritage by providing federal recognition and potential funding support.