Sponsors (2)
The bill standardizes and publicly shares federal geospatial data and clarifies agency roles to improve safety, planning, and transparency for waterways and recreation, but it raises costs, privacy and accessibility concerns, increases administrative centralization, and may enable broader federal restrictions or lock in current jurisdictional limits.
State, Tribal, and local resource and recreation managers (and named Federal agencies) get standardized, interoperable geospatial data and clearer statutory roles, enabling more coordinated planning and management of waterways and outdoor recreation.
Boaters, anglers, recreationists, and small businesses receive publicly available, up-to-date maps (closures, access points, rules) that improve safety, trip planning, and regulatory compliance.
Recreational and commercial fishers and fisheries benefit from clearer published no-take zones, gear/catch rules, and standardized spatial information that reduce accidental violations and help protect fish stocks.
Recreational and commercial fishers and local users could face reduced access or new federal restrictions because clearer federal definitions and centralized authorities make it easier to justify and enforce limits on waterways.
Federal, state, and local agencies (and taxpayers) may incur significant implementation, IT integration, dataset maintenance, contracting, and reporting costs—and a tight 30‑month deadline could strain resources and lead to rushed work.
Tribal communities, archaeological sites, and local governments could face privacy, sensitive-site disclosure, or data-security risks from wider publication and private-sector sharing of location-based geospatial data.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Requires federal agencies to set common geospatial standards and publish standardized online GIS data about federal waterways, access points, and fishing restrictions.
Introduced July 31, 2025 by John A. Barrasso · Last progress July 31, 2025
Requires federal land and water management agencies to create common standards and publish standardized geospatial data about federal waterways, public access points, and fishing restrictions so the public and partners can find up-to-date maps and rules online. It sets deadlines for developing interagency data standards, requires agencies to digitize and post specific data elements, mandates public comment and update schedules, allows cooperation with nonfederal partners and the USGS, and requires annual progress reports through 2034.