Visitor Services Improvement and Outdoor Legacy Act of 1996

Visitor Services Improvement and Outdoor Legacy Act of 1996 - Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (the Act) to state as congressional policy that Federal land management agencies should develop and implement high quality recreation programs and fund a portion of the cost of providing recreation services through recreation fees.

(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture (the Secretaries) to jointly issue a policy for the establishment and collection of recreation fees. Directs the Secretaries to: (1) establish and implement a fee program which provides for the partial recovery of the costs of visitor services; and (2) publish in the Federal Register a proposed schedule of all changes to such fees (with special publication rules with respect to new or revised commercial tour fees).

Directs the Secretaries to develop a target recreation revenue goal annually for each area under their administration. Excludes from inclusion as full-time equivalent employees those personnel assigned exclusively to fee collection duties. Provides for single visit fees and the annual admission permit known as a "Golden Eagle Passport." Authorizes the Secretaries to allow units of State or local government, organizations, businesses, and nonprofit entities to sell and collect admission fees, including the Golden Eagle Passports.

Directs the Secretaries to establish procedures for the issuance of a lifetime admission permit to U.S. citizens or legal residents who are determined medically to be permanently disabled.

Requires a fee to be charged for commercial tour use of each recreation area, as well as for aircraft entering the airspace of units of the National Park System. Requires a report from the Secretaries with respect to the aircraft fees. Authorizes either Secretary to charge a fee when providing transportation to visit all or a portion of an area. Limits the admission authorized to be charged to persons 12 years of age or younger.

Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a special account for each agency collecting recreation fees and to separately account for receipts and disbursements of funds for each area. Requires funds from the sale of Golden Eagle Passports to be divided among the agencies according to a formula devised by the Secretaries. Provides for the division of funds received from the sale of geographic admission permits.

Authorizes the Secretaries to withdraw up to 15 percent of the funds in the special account for expenditures related to fee collection costs. Allows remaining account funds to be used for appropriation for visitor services. Provides for the availability of special account amounts which are in excess of the pre-1996 authorized recreation receipts.

Sets forth auditing requirements and penalties for violating rules and regulations established by the Secretaries.

Authorizes the Secretaries to: (1) contract with any public or private entity to provide visitor reservation services; and (2) enlist volunteers to collect fees. Directs the Secretaries to implement necessary programs to minimize recreation fee impacts on low-income persons.

Requires annual reports from the Secretaries on fee collections, as well as an implementation report.

Authorizes appropriations, providing for a 25 percent funding increase beginning with the fifth fiscal year after the enactment of this Act.

(Sec. 5) Provides a savings provision with respect to areas administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under provisions of the Act.