Federal agencies managing rivers, lakes, and coastal waters — including the National Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Fish and Wildlife Service — would be required to standardize and publish detailed maps and data about recreational access under this legislation, known as the MAPWaters Act. Within five years, these agencies must digitize and post online information such as which waterways are open or closed to boating, fishing restriction zones, boat ramp locations, seasonal closures, and speed or wake limits. Anglers, boaters, and paddlers would gain a public online source to check rules before heading out, replacing today's patchwork of agency websites and paper notices. The agencies must also set up a way for the public to submit questions or comments and must update the data at least twice a year for access rules and in real time for fishing restrictions. The law does not change any existing rules about where hunting, fishing, or boating is currently allowed — it only requires that existing restrictions be mapped and published consistently.
Transparency & Accountability
- Waterway restriction data — Agencies must digitize and publish GIS maps of access and fishing rules
- Congressional reporting — Annual progress reports required from Secretaries through 2034
Congressional Summary
Modernizing Access to our Public Waters Act or the MAPWaters Act of 2025 or the MAPWaters Act of 2025This bill directs the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to standardize and publish data relating to the public's access to federal waterways for recreational use.Specifically, the Forest Service and Interior must jointly develop and adopt interagency standards for data collection and dissemination of geospatial data relating to public outdoor recreational access of federal waterways and federal fishing restrictions. The standards must ensure compatibility and interoperability among applicable federal databases with respect to collection and dissemination of such data.Within five years, the Forest Service and Interior must also digitize and make publicly available online certain geographic information system data about (1) federal waterway restrictions, (2) federal waterway access and navigation information, and (3) federal fishing restrictions. They must also update the data about waterway restrictions, waterway access, and navigation information at least twice per year. Data about fishing restrictions must be updated in real time as changes go into effect.Finally, the Forest Service and Interior must develop a process to allow members of the public to submit questions or comments regarding the data regarding waterway restrictions, waterway access, and navigation information.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-01-03
- Date Added
- 2026-07-11
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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