MAPWaters Act of 2025
Officially: “MAPWaters Act of 2025” Read the full text
What it does
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1Short title
This section gives the Act its short title: the Modernizing Access to our Public Waters Act of 2025, also called the MAPWaters Act of 2025.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Modernizing Access to our Public Waters Act of 2025 or the MAPWaters Act of 2025 .
2Definitions
This section defines terms used throughout the Act. A Federal fishing restriction is a defined area where a Federal land or water management agency temporarily or permanently prohibits or restricts all or certain fishing activities. A Federal land or water management agency means the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Forest Service. A Federal waterway is water managed by one or more of the Secretaries. A Federal waterway restriction is a restriction on access to or use of a Federal waterway that one or more of the Secretaries applies under existing law. The Secretaries means the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior. A State means each of the several states, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States.
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2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Federal fishing restriction The term Federal fishing restriction means a defined area in which all or certain fishing activities are temporarily or permanently prohibited or restricted by a Federal land or water management agency. (2) Federal land or water management agency The term Federal land or water management agency means— (A) the Bureau of Reclamation; (B) the National Park Service; (C) the Bureau of Land Management; (D) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and (E) the Forest Service. (3) Federal waterway The term Federal waterway means waters managed by 1 or more of the relevant Secretaries. (4) Federal waterway restriction The term Federal waterway restriction means a restriction on the access or use of a Federal waterway applied under applicable law by 1 or more of the Secretaries. (5) Secretaries The term Secretaries means— (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; and (B) the Secretary of the Interior. (6) State The term State means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States.
3Interagency data standardization
This section would require the Secretaries, within 30 months after the Act becomes law, to work with the Federal Geographic Data Committee (the committee established under section 753(a) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, 43 U.S.C. 2802(a)) to jointly develop and adopt shared standards. These standards would make Federal databases compatible and interoperable with each other for collecting and sharing geospatial data about public outdoor recreational access to Federal waterways and about Federal fishing restrictions.
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3. Interagency data standardization Not later than 30 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries, in coordination with the Federal Geographic Data Committee established by section 753(a) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 ( 43 U.S.C. 2802(a) ), shall jointly develop and adopt interagency standards to ensure compatibility and interoperability among applicable Federal databases with respect to the collection and dissemination of geospatial data relating to public outdoor recreational access of Federal waterways and Federal fishing restrictions.
4Data consolidation and publication
This section would require each Secretary, within 5 years after the Act becomes law and to the maximum extent practicable, to digitize and publish online geographic information system (GIS) data covering three subject areas. For Federal waterway restrictions, the published data would have to include: whether a waterway is open or closed to entry or watercraft and under what conditions, including watercraft inspection, decontamination requirements, low-elevation aircraft rules, or diving rules; the dates a waterway is seasonally closed to entry or watercraft; the areas with restrictions on motorized propulsion, horsepower, or fuel type; the areas with anchoring restrictions, no-wake zones, exclusion zones, danger areas, or vessel speed restrictions; restrictions on direction of travel, including upstream or downstream travel; and which uses are restricted in each area, including whether canoes and other paddlecraft, rafts and driftboats, motorboats, personal watercraft, airboats, amphibious aircraft, hovercraft, oversnow vehicles and other motorized vehicles on frozen bodies of water, oceangoing ships, swimming, and other recreational activities the Secretaries decide are appropriate are allowed. For Federal waterway access and navigation information, the published data would have to include the location of boat ramps, portages, and fishing access sites under the agency's authority, the dates those facilities and sites are open or closed, and bathymetric information and depth charts where feasible. For Federal fishing restrictions, the published data would have to describe the location and geographic boundaries of restrictions on recreational and commercial fishing, including full or partial closures, no-take zones, and restrictions in or around marine protected areas; restrictions on the use of specific equipment or bait; and requirements for catch and release. The Secretaries would have to develop a process letting members of the public submit questions or comments about the waterway-restriction data and the access-and-navigation data described above; the section does not require this comment process for the fishing-restriction data. To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretaries would have to update the waterway-restriction data and the access-and-navigation data at least twice a year, and update the fishing-restriction data in real time as changes take effect. This section would not apply to irrigation canals and flowage easements. Any GIS data made publicly available under this section could not disclose information about the nature, location, character, or ownership of historic, paleontological, or archaeological resources, consistent with applicable law.
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4. Data consolidation and publication (a) Federal waterway restrictions Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, each of the Secretaries, to the maximum extent practicable, shall digitize and make publicly available online, as applicable, geographic information system data that includes, with respect to Federal waterway restrictions— (1) status information with respect to the conditions under which Federal waterways are open or closed to entry or watercraft, including watercraft inspection, decontamination requirements, low-elevation aircraft, or diving; (2) the dates on which Federal waterways are seasonally closed to entry or watercraft; (3) the areas of Federal waterways with restrictions on motorized propulsion, horsepower, or fuel type; (4) the areas of Federal waterways with anchoring restrictions, no wake zones, exclusion zones, danger areas, or vessel speed restrictions; (5) Federal waterway restrictions on the direction of travel, including upstream or downstream travel; and (6) the uses, including by watercraft, that are restricted on each area of a Federal waterway, including the permissibility of— (A) canoes and other paddlecraft; (B) rafts and driftboats; (C) motorboats; (D) personal watercraft; (E) airboats; (F) amphibious aircraft; (G) hovercraft; (H) oversnow vehicles and other motorized vehicles on frozen bodies of water; (I) oceangoing ships; (J) swimming; and (K) other applicable recreational activities, as determined to be appropriate by the Secretaries. (b) Federal waterway access and navigation information Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, each of the Secretaries, to the maximum extent practicable, shall digitize and make publicly available online, as applicable, geographic information system data that includes, with respect to Federal waterway access and navigation information— (1) (A) the location of boat ramps, portages, and fishing access sites under the authority of the Federal land or water management agency; and (B) the identification of the dates on which the facilities and sites identified under subparagraph (A) are open or closed, as applicable; and (2) bathymetric information and depth charts, as feasible. (c) Federal fishing restrictions Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, each of the Secretaries, to the maximum extent practicable, shall digitize and make publicly available online geographic information system data that describes, with respect to Federal fishing restrictions— (1) the location and geographic boundaries of Federal fishing restrictions on recreational and commercial fishing, including— (A) full or partial closures; (B) no-take zones; and (C) Federal fishing restrictions within or surrounding marine protected areas; (2) Federal fishing restrictions on the use of specific types of equipment or bait; and (3) Federal requirements with respect to catch and release. (d) Public comment The Secretaries shall develop a process to allow members of the public to submit questions or comments regarding the information described in subsections (a) and (b). (e) Updates The Secretaries, to the maximum extent practicable, shall update— (1) the data described in subsections (a) and (b) not less frequently than 2 times per year; and (2) the data described in subsection (c) in real time as changes go into effect. (f) Exclusion This section shall not apply to irrigation canals and flowage easements. (g) Disclosure Any geographic information system data made publicly available under this section shall not disclose information regarding the nature, location, character, or ownership of historic, paleontological, or archaeological resources, consistent with applicable law.
5Cooperation and coordination
This section would let the Secretaries coordinate and partner with non-Federal agencies and private-sector and nonprofit partners to carry out the Act, including State natural resource agencies, Tribal natural resource agencies, technology companies, geospatial data companies, and experts in data science, analytics, and operations research. The Secretaries could also enter into an agreement with a third party to carry out any provision of the Act. The Secretaries could work with the Director of the United States Geological Survey to collect, aggregate, digitize, standardize, and publish data on the Secretaries' behalf to meet the Act's requirements. For any data developed and distributed under the Act, the Secretaries would have to develop the data in accordance with applicable Federal, State, and Tribal law (including regulations), and include a notice that the geospatial data are subject to applicable Federal, State, and Tribal law (including regulations). To the extent practicable, the Secretary in charge of a given area would have to use or incorporate existing applicable data, maps, and resources when carrying out the Act, including data, maps, and resources developed and published under the Modernizing Access to Our Public Land Act (16 U.S.C. 6851 et seq.), under section 103 of division DD of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (43 U.S.C. 776), or under other applicable law.
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5. Cooperation and coordination (a) Community partners and third-party providers For purposes of carrying out this Act, the Secretaries may— (1) coordinate and partner with non-Federal agencies and private sector and nonprofit partners, including— (A) State natural resource agencies; (B) Tribal natural resource agencies; (C) technology companies; (D) geospatial data companies; and (E) experts in data science, analytics, and operations research; and (2) enter into an agreement with a third party to carry out any provision of this Act. (b) United states geological survey The Secretaries may work with the Director of the United States Geological Survey to collect, aggregate, digitize, standardize, and publish data on behalf of the Secretaries to meet the requirements of this Act. (c) Requirement With respect to data developed and distributed under this Act, the Secretaries shall— (1) develop the data in accordance with applicable Federal, State, and Tribal laws (including regulations); and (2) include a notice that any geospatial data are subject to applicable Federal, State, and Tribal laws (including regulations). (d) Existing efforts To the extent practicable, the Secretary concerned shall use or incorporate existing applicable data, maps, and resources in carrying out this Act, including data, maps, and resources developed and published under— (1) the Modernizing Access to Our Public Land Act ( 16 U.S.C. 6851 et seq. ); (2) section 103 of division DD of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 ( 43 U.S.C. 776 ); or (3) other applicable law.
6Reports
This section would require the Secretaries to submit a report describing their progress toward meeting the Act's requirements. The first report would be due 1 year after the Act becomes law, and then a report would be due every year after that through March 30, 2034. Each report would go to the House Committee on Natural Resources, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the House Committee on Agriculture, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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6. Reports Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and annually thereafter through March 30, 2034, the Secretaries shall submit a report that describes the progress made by the Secretaries with respect to meeting the requirements of this Act to— (1) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; (2) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; (3) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; (4) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate; and (5) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.
7Effect
This section states that nothing in the Act changes the definition of the term navigable waters under Federal law, affects the jurisdiction or authority of State or Federal agencies to regulate navigable waters, changes the authority or jurisdiction of Federal or State agencies to manage fisheries, or allows or is meant to result in a change in how accessible waters are for hunting, fishing, or other outdoor recreation compared to how accessible they were on the date the Act is enacted.
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7. Effect Nothing in this Act— (1) modifies or alters the definition of the term navigable waters under Federal law; (2) affects the jurisdiction or authority of State or Federal agencies to regulate navigable waters; (3) modifies or alters the authority or jurisdiction of Federal or State agencies to manage fisheries; or (4) authorizes or is intended to result in a change in the accessibility of waters open to hunting, fishing, or other forms of outdoor recreation as of the date of the enactment of this Act. Passed the House of Representatives January 21, 2025. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.
Where it is
In the House.