The Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act which was introduced in the United States Senate in the fall of 2025 by Senators John Curtis and Mike Lee, both of Utah, has now been introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Mike Kennedy, also of Utah. BRC has been working with Representative Kennedy and his staff to make sure this legislation is sponsored in both houses of Congress. This is the next step in getting this critical legislation signed into law! You can read Representative Kennedy's press release and the statements given by BRC's Executive Director, Ben Burr and Board of Directors President, Ranch Pratt.
The legislation is designed to preserve and enhance access to public lands by maintaining road networks that allow individuals with mobility limitations to experience and enjoy America's outdoor spaces.
For many Americans, access to public lands depends on the availability of roads and motorized routes. While hiking, biking, and other forms of non-motorized recreation remain important opportunities on public lands, many individuals with disabilities rely on motorized vehicles to reach hunting areas, scenic viewpoints, campsites, fishing locations, and other recreational destinations.
The bill would require federal agencies to prioritize updates to travel management plans and motor vehicle use maps while accounting for the total length of accessible roads within each square mile of public land. It also directs agencies to coordinate with state, local, and tribal governments to identify routes that provide meaningful recreational access and help ensure public lands remain accessible to individuals with disabilities.
One of the most common complaints we receive when public lands are closed to motorized access is that those who rely on motorized access can no longer enjoy public lands that they used to enjoy. This bill would create strong new protections for recreation access, and BlueRibbon has been working hard with these Congressional offices to have this bill re-introduced this Congress. We’re proud to have worked closely with Senators Lee, Curtis, and other allies to shape the bill’s language, advocate for its principles, and mobilize public support. BRC’s goal has always been to ensure that access to the outdoors is not a privilege for the able-bodied but a guaranteed right for all.
What the Outdoor Americans With Disabilities Act Would Do
By tying road-access requirements directly to disability access, this legislation ensures that access is not an afterthought, it becomes a statutory priority. The goal is simple: no American should be shut out from public land experiences because they can’t hike many miles or traverse rugged terrain on foot.
Why This Bill Matters (and Why Now)
1. Addressing Disproportionate Impacts of Closures
When land agencies close roads to reduce motorized use, they often do not consider how many people rely on motor vehicles for access especially those with disabilities. BRC has fought several times in court to warn that blanket closures can be discriminatory in effect. The Outdoor ADA seeks to correct that imbalance and enshrine protections.
2. Avoiding Confusion Across Agencies
Without consistent federal policy, rules vary wildly across BLM, Forest Service, National Park, and local lands. Under this bill, route closure decisions would need to account for accessibility across jurisdictions. That reduces confusion and ensures fairness.
3. Legal Certainty and Efficiency
By making closures and re-designations categorically exempt from NEPA, the bill avoids decades of litigation and planning delay over route changes. Accessible lands cannot be held hostage by bureaucratic backlog.
4. Aligning Policy with a Growing Recreation Reality
As needs for motorized and e-assisted recreation grows, public lands must adapt. This legislation ensures that access modernization keeps pace with technology and demographics, so that recreation isn’t left behind by regulation.
Areas excluded from the bill include:
- National Parks
- Congressionally designated Wilderness Areas
- Wilderness Study Areas (where existing restrictions apply, for now)
- National Monuments with specific access restrictions established by law or proclamation
- Military installations and military-use lands
- Federal lands closed for national security purposes
- Areas subject to temporary emergency closures (wildfire, flood, public safety)
- Roadless areas without existing motorized routes, (for now)
- Areas closed under other federal statutes that the bill does not supersede
- Tribal lands not managed by the Bureau of Land Management or U.S. Forest Service
- State lands
- Private lands
- Water bodies and areas where motorized access is otherwise prohibited by existing law or regulation
Our public lands belong to all Americans. The Outdoor ADA is more than legislation, it’s a reaffirmation that access should never be limited by mobility. BRC will keep fighting so that every citizen can enjoy the beauty of America’s outdoors, regardless of ability.
Contact your members of Congress below and let them know why this legislation is important!
