Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act
Public Land Access: New Rules for Motorized Vehicles
This bill was recently introduced in the House and is currently being reviewed by two committees. It is in the early stages of the legislative process and is not yet scheduled for a vote. The bill is actively moving through the initial committee review phase.
Legislative Progress
This bill faces strong opposition from environmental groups over habitat concerns and the removal of environmental reviews. It is unlikely to pass without significant changes.
Key Points
- This bill aims to keep more roads open on federal lands so people with disabilities can access the outdoors. It requires the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to prioritize keeping roads available for motorized vehicles, off-road vehicles, and electric bicycles.
- The proposal creates a standard for disability-accessible land, which must have at least two and a half miles of road for every square mile of land. If an area meets this standard, the government is generally banned from closing roads if it would reduce the total amount of road below that level.
- If a federal agency decides to close a road for safety reasons, they would be required to open a new road nearby within one year. Agencies would also have to review all roads closed in the last ten years to see if they should be reopened for public use.
- To make these changes faster, the bill would allow the government to skip certain environmental impact studies usually required by law. It also creates a legal rule that roads should stay open unless there is clear and compelling evidence that a closure is necessary.
- These new rules would apply to National Forests and other public lands but would not affect most National Parks or protected Wilderness areas. The bill focuses on areas used for activities like hunting, fishing, camping, and mountain biking.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.