Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act
Sponsored By: Senator Mike Lee
Introduced
Summary
This bill would make _disability-accessible public land_ a central planning goal and require the Forest Service and Interior to update travel and motor vehicle use plans to favor keeping routes open.
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- People with disabilities and outdoor visitors: would get a clear benchmark for access because a "disability-accessible" square mile must have at least 2.5 miles of authorized roads, and agencies could not close roads if that would strip the designation except for very recent temporary roads or direct health and safety threats.
- Land managers and local partners: would have to prioritize revising travel management and motor vehicle use maps using new criteria, coordinate with federal, state, county, local, and Tribal governments, and consider reopening roads closed in the prior 10 years while keeping authority to revise routes as conditions change.
- Wildfire, public safety, and public input: closures that would hinder fuels reduction, wildfire response, or search and rescue are prohibited, most closures require notice and a hearing, and some closures or new route establishments may be categorically excluded from NEPA unless extraordinary circumstances arise.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Define disability-accessible public land
If enacted, the bill would define “disability-accessible land” as each square mile of public land that, on the date of enactment, has at least 2.5 miles of authorized roads for motorized or off-road vehicles. If enacted, it would also define “off-road vehicle,” “public land,” and which Secretaries are responsible. If enacted, the Secretaries would have to count total traversable road miles when making vehicle-use maps.
Federal agencies must update plans
If enacted, the bill would require the Forest Service and BLM to prioritize updating travel management and motor vehicle use plans. If enacted, the Secretaries would coordinate with federal, state, local, county, and Tribal governments to identify recreation routes. If enacted, they would prioritize roads that give access to many kinds of recreation, including hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, electric bicycles, and over-snow vehicles.
Limits on closing public land roads
If enacted, the bill would bar closing roads when the closure would make land lose its disability-accessible status, except for temporary roads placed within the last year or roads that pose a direct health or safety threat if replacement and notice rules are followed. If enacted, for land not disability-accessible, the Secretary would have to consider reopening any road closed in the past 10 years and could not close roads needed for fuels reduction, wildfire response, or search and rescue unless they meet narrow safety exceptions. If enacted, roads with unresolved section 2477 claims would stay open until those claims are finally decided.
New road closure rules and replacements
If enacted, the bill would require notice and a public hearing before closing covered roads, though in an immediate threat the hearing and some comment may be held after closure. If enacted, some closures and new road nominations could be categorically excluded from full NEPA review if no extraordinary circumstances exist. If enacted, the Secretary would have to allow nomination of replacement roads and establish a replacement within one year of a closure. If enacted, the bill would create a rebuttable presumption that roads stay open unless clear, compelling evidence supports closure.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Mike Lee
UT • R
Cosponsors
John Curtis
UT • R
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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