Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9221
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-09: 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.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-26T20:08:56Z
AI-Generated Summary
Summary of H.R. 9221: Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act
Purpose
This bill seeks to improve access to public lands for people with disabilities by maintaining and expanding networks of roads suitable for motorized vehicles and off-road vehicles. It directs federal agencies to prioritize updates to land management plans that support recreational opportunities while limiting certain road closures.
Key Provisions
- Definitions: Establishes terms such as "disability-accessible land" (public land with at least 2.5 miles of authorized roads per square mile accessible to motorized or off-road vehicles), "off-road vehicle," "public land" (National Forest System land and land managed by the Secretary of the Interior), and "Secretary concerned" (Secretary of Agriculture for Forest Service lands and Secretary of the Interior for other public lands).
- Plan Updates: Requires the Secretaries to prioritize revisions to travel management plans and motor vehicle use plans for the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service.
- Road Designation and Management:
- Directs agencies to account for traversable roads when creating motor vehicle use maps and designating areas as open, limited, or closed to off-road vehicles.
- Prioritizes roads providing diverse recreation options, including hunting, fishing, camping, and motorized use.
- Mandates coordination with federal, state, local, and Tribal entities to identify desirable routes for disability access.
- Allows route revisions for changing conditions and keeps unadjudicated roads claimed under Revised Statutes section 2477 open until resolved.
- Restrictions on Road Closures:
- In disability-accessible areas, prohibits closures that would reduce road access below the accessibility threshold, except for temporary needs, emergencies, or direct health/safety threats.
- In non-accessible areas, encourages reopening recently closed roads, limits new closures to safety threats, and prohibits closures of roads useful for wildfire response or fuels reduction.
- Requires public notice, comment periods, and hearings for closures (with exceptions for immediate threats).
- Mandates nomination and establishment of replacement roads within one year of closures.
- Applies a rebuttable presumption favoring road openness, rebuttable only by clear evidence of necessity.
- Regulatory Authority: Allows issuance or revision of regulations to implement these rules.
- Limitations: Does not prevent new road or trail development but prohibits establishing them in wilderness areas, inventoried roadless areas, primitive areas, or most National Park System units.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Overrides general provisions of law and regulations to prioritize plan updates and specific road designation processes.
- Introduces categorical exclusions from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for qualifying road closures and new road establishments, subject to extraordinary circumstances reviews.
- Creates new procedural requirements, including public hearings and replacement road mandates, for road management decisions by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
- Establishes a presumption against closures that shifts the burden of proof in reviews.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management through mandatory plan updates, coordination efforts, and compliance with new closure procedures and NEPA exclusions.
- Citizens: Enhances recreational access for individuals with disabilities and other users on public lands by preserving motorized routes, potentially expanding opportunities in hunting, camping, and similar activities.
- International Relations: No direct effects identified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Individuals with disabilities seeking improved land access.
- Recreational users, including those engaged in motorized vehicle use, hunting, fishing, and hiking.
- Federal land management agencies (Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management).
- State, county, local governments, and Tribal governments involved in route identification.
- Communities near public lands that rely on recreational economies.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Raises potential conflicts with existing environmental statutes like NEPA by streamlining reviews through categorical exclusions.
- May influence interpretations of land management authorities under laws such as the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, particularly regarding road claims and wilderness protections.
- Emphasizes access rights over certain conservation measures, which could lead to legal challenges regarding agency discretion in balancing recreation and resource protection.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-09: 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.
- 2026-06-09: 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.
- 2026-06-09: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-09: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act — issued 2026-06-09 — PDF (9 pages)