Complete America’s Great Trails Act
National Scenic Trails: Tax Credits for Land Conservation
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process after being sent to the Senate Committee on Finance for review. It is actively moving through the system, but no future votes or hearings have been scheduled yet. There is no companion bill currently listed for this proposal.
Legislative Progress
Tax credit bills for specific causes often struggle to pass unless they are part of a much larger tax package. This bill currently lacks broad bipartisan support.
Key Points
- This bill creates a new tax credit for people who donate land or land rights to help complete National Scenic Trails. These are famous long distance hiking paths like the Appalachian Trail that often have gaps where they cross private property.
- The tax credit would equal the fair market value of the land or the rights being shared. This gives landowners a bigger financial reward than the current tax deductions available for conservation.
- Landowners can still use their property for things like farming or outdoor fun. As long as these activities do not hurt the trail or the environment, they can keep using the land while getting the tax break.
- If a landowner earns a credit that is larger than their tax bill, they can carry the extra amount forward. This allows them to lower their taxes for up to 10 years until the credit is used up.
- The credit applies to a trail corridor that is usually at least 50 feet wide on each side of the trail but no more than about half a mile wide in total. This ensures enough space is protected to keep the trail experience natural.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
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
Complete America’s Great Trails Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(3)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.