Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9221 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9221

    To ensure access to certain public land, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 9, 2026

 Mr. Kennedy of Utah introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee
   on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

    To ensure access to certain public land, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Outdoor Americans with Disabilities
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Disability-accessible land.--The term ``disability-
        accessible land'' means each square mile of public land
        assessed, as of the date of enactment of this Act, to have not
        less than 2.5 miles of authorized road accessible to motorized
        vehicles or off-road vehicles.
            (2) Off-road vehicle.--The term ``off-road vehicle'' means
        any motorized vehicle capable of, or designed for, travel on or
        immediately over land, water, or other natural terrain.
            (3) Public land.--The term ``public land'' means--
                    (A) National Forest System land; and
                    (B) land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of
                the Interior.
            (4) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned''
        means--
                    (A) the Secretary of Agriculture (acting through
                the Chief of the Forest Service), with respect to
                National Forest System land; and
                    (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to
                land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the
                Interior.

SEC. 3. UPDATES TO TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLANS AND MOTOR VEHICLE USE PLANS.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law (including regulations),
the Secretaries concerned shall prioritize updating travel management
plans and motor vehicle use plans of the Bureau of Land Management and
the Forest Service.

SEC. 4. MOTOR VEHICLE USE MAPS AND DESIGNATION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC LAND
              AS OPEN, LIMITED, OR CLOSED TO OFF-ROAD VEHICLES.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law
(including regulations), the Secretary of Agriculture (acting through
the Chief of the Forest Service), for purposes of developing motor
vehicle use maps under section 212.56 of title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations (or a successor regulation), and the Secretary of the
Interior, for purposes of designating public land under the
jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior as open, limited, or
closed to off-road vehicles under section 8342.3 of title 43, Code of
Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation), shall--
            (1) account for the total length of traversable, approved
        roads in each square mile of public land managed by the
        applicable Secretary concerned;
            (2) for purposes of closing roads under the jurisdiction of
        the Secretary concerned, comply with the requirements
        established under subsection (b);
            (3) prioritize the inclusion and approval of roads on
        public land that provide access to diverse opportunities for
        recreation, including hunting, fishing, visiting cultural and
        natural sites, birdwatching, hiking, picnicking, camping,
        boating, mountain biking, and the use of motorized vehicles or
        off-road vehicles (including electric bicycles and over-snow
        vehicles);
            (4) coordinate with appropriate Federal agencies, State,
        county, and other local governmental entities, and Tribal
        governments for purposes of identifying routes on public land
        that are considered to be desirable for recreation to ensure
        the public land is disability-accessible land;
            (5) have the authority to revise a route on public land as
        the Secretary concerned determines to be necessary to address
        changes to conditions occurring after the date of the
        designation of the route; and
            (6) ensure that any road that is subject to a claim under
        section 2477 of the Revised Statutes (43 U.S.C. 932) (repealed
        by section 706 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
        1976 (Public Law 94-579; 90 Stat. 2793)) that has not been
        adjudicated or litigated shall remain open until the
        adjudication or litigation has been completed.
    (b) Road Closures.--
            (1) In general.--For purposes of subsection (a)(2)--
                    (A) in the case of disability-accessible land, the
                Secretary concerned shall not close roads that would
                result in a net decrease of authorized road accessible
                to motorized vehicles or off-road vehicles to the
                extent that the public land would no longer be
                designated as disability-accessible land, unless--
                            (i) the road on public land being closed
                        was established during the 1-year period ending
                        on the date of the closure to address a
                        temporary need or emergency; or
                            (ii) the Secretary concerned--
                                    (I) determines that the road on
                                public land being closed poses a direct
                                threat to the health or safety of
                                personnel or visitors to the public
                                land; and
                                    (II) complies with the requirements
                                of paragraphs (3) and (4) with respect
                                to the closure; and
                    (B) in the case of public land that is not
                considered to be disability-accessible land--
                            (i) the Secretary concerned shall consider
                        opening any road on public land that was closed
                        during the 10-year period ending on the date of
                        enactment of this Act;
                            (ii) the Secretary concerned shall not
                        close any additional roads on public land,
                        unless the Secretary concerned--
                                    (I) determines that the road poses
                                a direct threat to the health or safety
                                of personnel or visitors to the public
                                land; and
                                    (II) complies with the requirements
                                of paragraphs (3) and (4) with respect
                                to the closure; and
                            (iii) the Secretary concerned shall not
                        close any roads on public land that the
                        Secretary concerned determines are beneficial
                        for fuels reduction treatments, wildfire
                        response, or search and rescue activities.
            (2) Notice and hearing.--For purposes of a road closure
        under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1), the Secretary
        concerned shall--
                    (A) provide notice of the proposed closure to allow
                for public comment, which may be provided after the
                closure if the Secretary concerned determines that
                there is an immediate threat to the health or safety of
                personnel or visitors to the public land; and
                    (B) conduct a public hearing with respect to the
                closure, which may be held after the closure if the
                Secretary concerned makes a determination in the
                affirmative under subparagraph (A).
            (3) New roads.--For purposes of a road closure under
        subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1), the Secretary
        concerned shall--
                    (A) provide for the nomination of new roads on
                public land to be added to a motor vehicle use plan or
                travel management plan of the Secretary concerned; and
                    (B) establish an appropriate new road on public
                land not later than 1 year after the date on which the
                road is closed under that paragraph.
            (4) Categorical exclusion.--A road closure that the
        Secretary concerned determines to be necessary under
        subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) or the establishment
        of a new road nominated for establishment under subparagraph
        (A) of paragraph (3) shall be categorically excluded from the
        requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
        (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), subject to any regulations requiring
        a determination that there are no extraordinary circumstances
        that warrant the preparation of an environmental assessment or
        an environmental impact statement with respect to the proposed
        road closure or establishment of the new road.
            (5) Rebuttable presumption.--For purposes of the review of
        a road closure under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1),
        there shall be a rebuttable presumption that roads shall remain
        open for public use, which may only be rebutted by clear and
        compelling evidence demonstrating that the closure of the road
        is necessary in accordance with this Act.
    (c) Regulations.--The Secretaries concerned may issue or revise
regulations to carry out this section.

SEC. 5. EFFECT OF ACT.

    Nothing in this Act--
            (1) prohibits the Secretary concerned from developing new
        roads or trails on public land for the use of motorized
        vehicles or off-road vehicles; or
            (2) establishes new roads or trails in a component of the
        National Wilderness System, inventoried roadless area,
        congressionally designated primitive area, or unit of the
        National Park System (other than a National Recreation Area).
                                 <all>