The bill would create a federal grant program for states to digitize county road records and build public road-data websites. States could pass grant funds to counties for converting maps, creating digital data, and training staff or hiring contractors. State transportation departments would keep the data in a central repository, distinguish public roads from private roads, make it compatible with mapping platforms, and update it at least once a year. The bill says this program would not change who owns or controls a road or the road’s legal public-access status. It also protects certain information about historic, archaeological, or paleontological resources from disclosure.
States could apply for grants and distribute funds to counties. People could use the resulting public road datasets through state websites and compatible mapping platforms. The bill does not change existing rights or claims about road ownership, rights-of-way, or public access.
The bill authorizes $20 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2031, or $120 million in total, subject to appropriations. Up to 2 percent of those funds could be used to administer the program. The grant authority would end on September 30, 2031, unless Congress reauthorizes it.
The bill states that the program is intended to support rural commerce, increase public safety, and improve public access and navigation by making county road information easier to find and use.
No publicly available information.