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substantiveJan 22, 2025 · House roll call · passage · Result: Passed

On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended — H R 187 — MAPWaters Act

MAPWaters Act of 2025

In plain language

- This House bill from the 119th Congress is titled the Modernizing Access to our Public Waters Act, or the MAPWaters Act of 2025. Official subject tags include congressional oversight, data collection, mapping, government information and studies, hunting and fishing, land use, fisheries, water transportation, and navigation. - The official summary says the Forest Service and the Interior Department would standardize and publish data on public recreational access to federal waterways. - They would jointly adopt interagency standards for geospatial data on outdoor recreational access to federal waterways and on federal fishing restrictions, so federal databases can work together. - Within five years they would digitize and post geographic information system data on federal waterway restrictions, access and navigation, and fishing restrictions. - Restriction, access, and navigation data would be updated at least twice a year, and fishing-restriction data in real time as changes take effect. The public could submit questions or comments on the waterway data. Irrigation canals and flowage easements would not be covered. - The agencies could partner with nonfederal agencies, private entities, and nonprofits, and work with the U.S. Geological Survey. They would report yearly to specified congressional committees on progress.

Official summary (Congressional Research Service)

Modernizing Access to our Public Waters Act or the MAPWaters Act of 2025 or the MAPWaters Act of 2025 This act 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. (Sec. 3) 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. (Sec. 4) 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. The Forest Service and Interior must also 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. The requirements under this section do not apply to irrigation canals and flowage easements. (Sec. 5) To carry out the act, the Forest Service and Interior may (1) coordinate and partner with nonfederal agencies, private entities, and nonprofit partners; and (2) enter into agreements with third parties. The Forest Service and Interior may work with the U.S. Geological Survey to collect, aggregate, digitize, standardize, and publish data on their behalf. (Sec. 6) The Forest Service and Interior must annually report to specified congressional committees on their progress in meeting the requirements of this act.

View this measure on congress.gov

Roll-call breakdown

Yea413

Democrat: 202 · Independent: 1 · Republican: 210

Nay0

—

Present0

—

Not Voting19

Democrat: 13 · Republican: 6

How each member voted (432)

Yea (413)

Not Voting (19)

Party labels reflect each member’s most recent affiliation on record.