Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act
Sponsored By: Senator Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced
Summary
Designates Route 66 as a National Historic Trail. This bill would add all historic alignments of U.S. Highway 66 to the National Trails System, defining an approximately 2,400-mile route from Chicago to Santa Monica.
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- Communities and visitors: Establishes federal recognition that can boost heritage tourism and local preservation efforts along the corridor.
- Tribal governments: Requires active, meaningful, and timely consultation with affected Indian Tribes before any activity that would have substantial direct tribal impacts.
- Private landowners: Bars the use of eminent domain and prevents federal purchase of land outside federal areas without owner consent; acquisitions are limited to an average of a quarter-mile on either side of the trail.
- Federal agencies and energy producers: Preserves existing agency authority to grant easements or rights-of-way and states the designation does not prohibit or disrupt energy development.
- Administration: Directs the Secretary of the Interior to manage the trail in a way that maintains its idiosyncratic character and to keep the official route map on file for public inspection.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Designates Route 66 National Trail
This bill would designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail. The trail would include all U.S. Highway 66 alignments from 1926–1985, about 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica. The official map would be kept on file at the Department of the Interior. The Interior Secretary would have to run the trail to keep its unique character and would consult affected Indian Tribes before actions that substantially affect them.
Limits on federal land and permits
This bill would limit how the federal government can treat land along the Route 66 trail. The United States could not buy land outside federal areas without the owner's consent and could not acquire more than about a quarter mile on average each side of the trail. The bill would bar creating buffer zones, stop the Interior Secretary from using eminent domain, and say visible or audible activity outside the trail cannot be used to regulate that activity. It would also keep existing easement and rights-of-way authorities in place and say the trail designation does not change one Mineral Leasing Act rule about National Park System land. The designation would not trigger extra federal permits or block energy development.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
TX • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 9/18/2025
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/18/2025
Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO]
MO • R
Sponsored 9/18/2025
Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 9/18/2025
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 4/28/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov