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HR 9221

Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act

119th Congress Introduced by Mike Kennedy

HR 9221 directs agencies to prioritize and expand disability-accessible land and routes on public lands by updating travel and motor vehicle plans and designations.

Introduced in House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 9221

Overview

  • Bill: HR 9221
  • Session: 119th Congress, 2nd Session
  • Title: Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Purpose: To ensure access to certain public land by prioritizing and shaping motor vehicle use for recreation, with explicit emphasis on creating and maintaining disability-accessible land and routes. The bill aims to update travel management and motor vehicle use plans across National Forest System land and Interior lands to improve accessibility for diverse recreation, including for people with disabilities.

Main Purpose and Intent

  • Establish a framework to identify and designate “disability-accessible land” on public land and to prioritize access for motorized and off-road vehicle users where accessible routes exist.
  • Require Secretaries of Agriculture (Forest Service) and Interior to update travel management plans and motor vehicle use maps with an emphasis on accessibility and recreational opportunities.
  • Create procedural requirements for road designations, openings, closures, and new roads, with a bias toward maintaining or expanding disability-accessible routes where feasible.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Section 2 – Definitions
    • Disability-accessible land: Any square mile of public land that, as of enactment, has at least 2.5 miles of authorized road accessible to motorized or off-road vehicles.
    • Off-road vehicle: Any motorized vehicle designed for use on land, water, or other terrain.
    • Public land: National Forest System land and land under the Interior’s jurisdiction.
    • Secretary concerned: Secretary of Agriculture (through the Forest Service) for NFS land; Secretary of the Interior for lands under Interior.
  • Section 3 – Travel Management and Planning Updates
    • Requires prioritization of updating travel management plans and motor vehicle use plans for the relevant land management agencies.
  • Section 4 – Motor Vehicle Use Maps; Designation of Open/Limited/Closed Land
    • Agencies must account for the total length of traversable roads per square mile when designating open, limited, or closed to off-road vehicles.
    • When closing roads, agencies must follow specified criteria and consider disability-accessible land designations.
    • Prioritize roads that provide diverse recreational opportunities (hunting, fishing, visiting sites, birdwatching, hiking, camping, boating, mountain biking, use of motorized or off-road vehicles, including electric bikes and over-snow vehicles).
    • Coordinate with federal, state, local governments, and Tribal governments to identify routes desirable for recreation and accessibility.
    • Agencies may revise routes post-designation to reflect post-enactment conditions.
    • Roads with unresolved claims under the old 2477 statute must remain open until adjudication concludes.
    • Provisions for road closures include public notice and a hearing, with possible post-closure public comment if immediate health or safety concerns exist.
    • New roads may be nominated to be added to motor vehicle use plans; new roads must be established not later than one year after closure.
    • Some road closures and new roads would be categorically excluded from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, subject to no extraordinary circumstances.
    • Rebuttable presumption: roads should remain open unless clear, compelling evidence shows closure is necessary.
  • Section 5 – Effect of Act
    • Clarifies that nothing in the Act prohibits creating new roads or trails for motorized/off-road vehicle use, and it does not create new roads in certain sensitive areas (National Wilderness System, inventoried roadless areas, primitive areas, or most National Park System units, except National Recreation Areas).

Who and What Is Affected

  • Federal land management agencies: primarily the Department of Agriculture (Forest Service) and the Department of the Interior.
  • Public lands affected: National Forest System lands and other Interior lands under the Secretary concerned.
  • Recreational users: motorized vehicle users, off-road vehicle users, and those seeking recreational activities listed (hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, birdwatching, etc.), with a focus on improving accessibility for people with disabilities.
  • Local governments, tribes, and other stakeholders: coordination required to identify desirable recreation routes.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • The bill directs agencies to prioritize updates to travel management and motor vehicle use plans upon enactment and in subsequent planning cycles.
  • Road closures include notice, public comment, and hearings, with possible post-closure hearings if immediate threats exist.
  • New roads must be nominated and established within one year of closure if applicable.
  • Some closures and new road establishments may be categorically excluded from NEPA review, barring extraordinary circumstances.
  • The act does not alter wilderness designations or certain sensitive areas; it preserves existing protections in those zones.

Summary

HR 9221 aims to formalize a framework for expanding and safeguarding access to public lands for a broad range of recreational activities, with explicit attention to disability accessibility. It requires updating management plans, prioritizing accessibility in road designations, and fostering collaboration with federal, state, local, and Tribal entities. It creates procedural standards for road openings, closures, and the designation of disability-accessible land, while preserving protections in sensitive environmental areas and allowing certain reorganizations to proceed with streamlined NEPA considerations.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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