# 119-hr-4924: Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act

119-hr-4924, Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6] (R-MO); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4924
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-4924
- Congress: 119
- Title: Rails to Trails Landowner Rights Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-08-08
- Sponsor: Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6] (R-MO)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Protects landowners' rights in temporary rail-to-trail conversions.** This bill would impose new notice, payment, maintenance, and transparency rules for interim recreational use of abandoned railroad rights-of-way to balance property rights, safety, and community impacts. - Landowners: Requires signed owner approvals within 30 days of intervention and payment at fair market value for costs from interim use, including moving infrastructure and lost development opportunities. - State, local governments, and private trail sponsors: Must provide financial assurances, pay for a mandated cost-benefit analysis, run a 90-day public notice and comment period, and maintain the right-of-way in perpetuity or until rail service returns. - Public oversight and rail interests: Creates an online public portal, mandates periodic Board reviews of corridors, and directs the Interior Department to form an 11-member advisory committee that must report maintenance recommendations to Congress within 2 years.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Rep. Foxx, Virginia [R-NC-5] (R-NC), 2025-08-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wagner, Ann [R-MO-2] (R-MO), 2025-08-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Alford, Mark [R-MO-4] (R-MO), 2025-08-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large] (R-WY), 2025-08-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Onder, Robert F. [R-MO-3] (R-MO), 2025-08-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McDowell, Addison P. [R-NC-6] (R-NC), 2025-09-15T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Landowner approval and payments for rail-trails: benefit, high. If you own land crossed by or next to a railroad right-of-way, a trail sponsor would need your signed approval. They would have to get it within 30 days after they intervene in an abandonment case and notify you and your local government. The agreement would have to pay you at least fair market val…
- More review before rail-trail approvals: mixed, medium. Before approving interim trail use, the Surface Transportation Board would post public notice and take comments for at least 90 days. This would happen after landowner approvals. The Board would review easement width and consider narrowing it if full width is not needed for possible rail return. It…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4275: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act
- 119-hr-703: Main Street Tax Certainty Act
- 119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025
- 119-hr-9497: Water Resources Development Act of 2026
- 119-hres-719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk.

## Sources
- [119-hr-4924 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4924)

## Related
- [119-hr-4275: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4275)
- [119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8870)
- [119-hr-703: Main Street Tax Certainty Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-703)
- [119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-38)
- [119-hr-9497: Water Resources Development Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9497)
- [119-hres-719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-719)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4924 (as of 2026-04-21).