Sponsors (6)
The bill provides predictable, rising federal funding to improve access to federal lands and support local jobs, at the trade‑off of drawing from the Highway Trust Fund, excluding mass transit beneficiaries, and increasing authorized federal spending that could strain budgets without offsets.
Local governments and rural communities receive predictable, increasing annual Federal Lands Access Program funding ($314M in FY2027 rising to $334M in FY2031) to support access and safety projects.
Transportation workers and contractors gain multi‑year road construction and maintenance work prospects from the program's steady funding increases.
Residents and visitors to federal lands (parks and recreation areas) are likely to see improved access and safety as more access projects are funded.
Taxpayers and other highway programs may face reduced Highway Trust Fund balances (the funding is drawn from HTF excluding Mass Transit), potentially limiting funds for other highway needs if HTF revenues are constrained.
Public transit agencies and transit riders receive no benefit because the provision explicitly excludes the Mass Transit Account, leaving transit projects unfunded by these increases.
Taxpayers could face added federal budget pressure because the bill authorizes higher federal spending over five years without specified offsets.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes specified annual Highway Trust Fund amounts for the Federal Lands Access Program for FY2027–FY2031.
Provides five-year reauthorization and specific annual funding levels for the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP), authorizing transfers from the Highway Trust Fund (excluding the Mass Transit Account) for FY2027–FY2031. It sets fixed dollar amounts each year to support roads and access projects that connect federal lands to the national highway system.
Official title: Reauthorize the Federal lands access program.
Introduced March 18, 2026 by Jeff Merkley · Last progress March 18, 2026