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119-hr-9221119th Congress

Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act

Sponsored By: Representative Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]

In Committee

Summary

Disability-accessible land is the focus: this bill would create a national framework to identify and manage public land areas that meet a road-access threshold and to limit closures that reduce access. It sets rules for how motorized and off-road vehicle use is planned and where roads can stay open or be added to preserve accessibility.

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  • People with disabilities and families: Would get clear definitions and protections for accessible places. The bill defines disability-accessible land as each square mile that has at least 2.5 miles of authorized road for motorized or off-road vehicles.
  • Outdoor recreationists and local communities: Would see planning prioritize routes that support diverse activities like hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, and off-road use. Roads closed in the prior 10 years must be considered for reopening and existing desirable routes should be kept.
  • Land managers, Tribes, and emergency responders: Would face new coordination and timing rules. Agencies would need to update travel and motor vehicle use plans, coordinate with federal, state, local, and Tribal partners, follow public notice and hearing steps for closures, and nominate replacement roads so a suitable new road is established within 1 year after certain closures. NEPA review is generally excluded for these closures or new road establishment except for extraordinary circumstances.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Prioritize motor access for people with disabilities

If enacted, the bill would define "disability-accessible land" as any square mile that, on the date it becomes law, has at least 2.5 miles of authorized road open to motorized or off‑road vehicles. The Secretaries would have to count total approved road miles in each square mile when making motor vehicle use maps. The Secretaries would also have to coordinate with federal, state, local, county, and Tribal governments and prioritize roads that give access to hunting, fishing, cultural sites, birdwatching, hiking, camping, boating, mountain biking, electric bicycles, over‑snow vehicles, and other motorized recreation. The bill would require agencies to speed updates to travel and motor vehicle use plans to protect and create this kind of access.

New rules for road closures and builds

If enacted, the bill would make it harder to close roads on public land and would require quick replacement when a closure occurs. On land meeting the 2.5‑mile-per‑square‑mile test, the Secretary generally could not close roads that would remove that designation except for narrow emergency or safety reasons. For other land, the Secretary would have to consider reopening roads closed in the 10 years before enactment and generally may close a road only if it directly threatens health or safety, with public notice and a hearing (which may follow an emergency closure). When a road is closed under these rules, the Secretary would allow nomination of a replacement and must establish an appropriate new road within one year. Roads with unresolved 43 U.S.C. 2477 claims would remain open until those claims are adjudicated. The bill would also allow some closures and replacement-road establishments to be categorically excluded from full NEPA review unless extraordinary circumstances require further study, and it confirms agencies may build new motorized roads except in Wilderness, inventoried roadless areas, congressionally primitive areas, and most National Park units.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]

UT • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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