H. R. 187
One Hundred Nineteenth Congress
of the
United States of America 
AT THE FIRST SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-five 
An Act 
To provide for the standardization, consolidation, and publication of data relating 
to public outdoor recreational use of Federal waterways among Federal land 
and water management agencies, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Modernizing Access to our Public 
Waters Act of 2025’’ or the ‘‘MAPWaters Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) FEDERAL
FISHING
RESTRICTION.—The term ‘‘Federal 
fishing restriction’’ means a defined area in which all or certain 
fishing activities are temporarily or permanently prohibited 
or restricted by a Federal land or water management agency. 
(2) FEDERAL LAND OR WATER MANAGEMENT AGENCY.—The 
term ‘‘Federal land or water management agency’’ means—
(A) the Bureau of Reclamation; 
(B) the National Park Service; 
(C) the Bureau of Land Management; 
(D) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and 
(E) the Forest Service. 
(3) FEDERAL
WATERWAY.—The term ‘‘Federal waterway’’ 
means waters managed by 1 or more of the relevant Secretaries. 
(4) FEDERAL WATERWAY RESTRICTION.—The term ‘‘Federal 
waterway restriction’’ means a restriction on the access or 
use of a Federal waterway applied under applicable law by 
1 or more of the Secretaries. 
(5) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ means—
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Chief of the Forest Service; and 
(B) the Secretary of the Interior. 
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several 
States, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the 
United States. 
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY DATA STANDARDIZATION. 
Not later than 30 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretaries, in coordination with the Federal Geographic 
Data Committee established by section 753(a) of the FAA Reauthor-
ization Act of 2018 (43 U.S.C. 2802(a)), shall jointly develop and 
adopt interagency standards to ensure compatibility and interoper-
ability among applicable Federal databases with respect to the
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collection and dissemination of geospatial data relating to public 
outdoor recreational access of Federal waterways and Federal 
fishing restrictions. 
SEC. 4. DATA CONSOLIDATION AND PUBLICATION. 
(a) FEDERAL WATERWAY RESTRICTIONS.—Not later than 5 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, each of the Secretaries, 
to the maximum extent practicable, shall digitize and make publicly 
available online, as applicable, geographic information system data 
that includes, with respect to Federal waterway restrictions—
(1) status information with respect to the conditions under 
which Federal waterways are open or closed to entry or 
watercraft, including watercraft inspection, decontamination 
requirements, low-elevation aircraft, or diving; 
(2) the dates on which Federal waterways are seasonally 
closed to entry or watercraft; 
(3) the areas of Federal waterways with restrictions on 
motorized propulsion, horsepower, or fuel type; 
(4) the areas of Federal waterways with anchoring restric-
tions, no wake zones, exclusion zones, danger areas, or vessel 
speed restrictions; 
(5) Federal waterway restrictions on the direction of travel, 
including upstream or downstream travel; and 
(6) the uses, including by watercraft, that are restricted 
on each area of a Federal waterway, including the permissibility 
of—
(A) canoes and other paddlecraft; 
(B) rafts and driftboats; 
(C) motorboats; 
(D) personal watercraft; 
(E) airboats; 
(F) amphibious aircraft; 
(G) hovercraft; 
(H) oversnow vehicles and other motorized vehicles 
on frozen bodies of water; 
(I) oceangoing ships; 
(J) swimming; and 
(K) other applicable recreational activities, as deter-
mined to be appropriate by the Secretaries. 
(b) FEDERAL WATERWAY ACCESS
AND NAVIGATION INFORMA-
TION.—Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act, each of the Secretaries, to the maximum extent practicable, 
shall digitize and make publicly available online, as applicable, 
geographic information system data that includes, with respect 
to Federal waterway access and navigation information—
(1)(A) the location of boat ramps, portages, and fishing 
access sites under the authority of the Federal land or water 
management agency; and 
(B) the identification of the dates on which the facilities 
and sites identified under subparagraph (A) are open or 
closed, as applicable; and 
(2) bathymetric information and depth charts, as feasible. 
(c) FEDERAL FISHING RESTRICTIONS.—Not later than 5 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, each of the Secretaries, 
to the maximum extent practicable, shall digitize and make publicly 
available online geographic information system data that describes, 
with respect to Federal fishing restrictions—
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(1) the location and geographic boundaries of Federal 
fishing restrictions on recreational and commercial fishing, 
including—
(A) full or partial closures; 
(B) no-take zones; and 
(C) Federal fishing restrictions within or surrounding 
marine protected areas; 
(2) Federal fishing restrictions on the use of specific types 
of equipment or bait; and 
(3) Federal requirements with respect to catch and release. 
(d) PUBLIC COMMENT.—The Secretaries shall develop a process 
to allow members of the public to submit questions or comments 
regarding the information described in subsections (a) and (b). 
(e) UPDATES.—The Secretaries, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, shall update—
(1) the data described in subsections (a) and (b) not less 
frequently than 2 times per year; and 
(2) the data described in subsection (c) in real time as 
changes go into effect. 
(f) EXCLUSION.—This section shall not apply to irrigation canals 
and flowage easements. 
(g) DISCLOSURE.—Any geographic information system data 
made publicly available under this section shall not disclose 
information regarding the nature, location, character, or ownership 
of historic, paleontological, or archaeological resources, consistent 
with applicable law. 
SEC. 5. COOPERATION AND COORDINATION. 
(a) COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS.—For 
purposes of carrying out this Act, the Secretaries may—
(1) coordinate and partner with non-Federal agencies and 
private sector and nonprofit partners, including—
(A) State natural resource agencies; 
(B) Tribal natural resource agencies; 
(C) technology companies; 
(D) geospatial data companies; and 
(E) experts in data science, analytics, and operations 
research; and 
(2) enter into an agreement with a third party to carry 
out any provision of this Act. 
(b) UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.—The Secretaries may 
work with the Director of the United States Geological Survey 
to collect, aggregate, digitize, standardize, and publish data on 
behalf of the Secretaries to meet the requirements of this Act. 
(c) REQUIREMENT.—With respect to data developed and distrib-
uted under this Act, the Secretaries shall—
(1) develop the data in accordance with applicable Federal, 
State, and Tribal laws (including regulations); and 
(2) include a notice that any geospatial data are subject 
to applicable Federal, State, and Tribal laws (including regula-
tions). 
(d) EXISTING EFFORTS.—To the extent practicable, the Secretary 
concerned shall use or incorporate existing applicable data, maps, 
and resources in carrying out this Act, including data, maps, and 
resources developed and published under—
(1) the Modernizing Access to Our Public Land Act (16 
U.S.C. 6851 et seq.);
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(2) section 103 of division DD of the Consolidated Appro-
priations Act, 2023 (43 U.S.C. 776); or 
(3) other applicable law. 
SEC. 6. REPORTS. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act and annually thereafter through March 30, 2034, the Secre-
taries shall submit a report that describes the progress made by 
the Secretaries with respect to meeting the requirements of this 
Act to—
(1) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives; 
(2) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 
of Representatives; 
(3) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Rep-
resentatives; 
(4) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate; and 
(5) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
of the Senate. 
SEC. 7. EFFECT. 
Nothing in this Act—
(1) modifies or alters the definition of the term ‘‘navigable 
waters’’ under Federal law; 
(2) affects the jurisdiction or authority of State or Federal 
agencies to regulate navigable waters; 
(3) modifies or alters the authority or jurisdiction of Federal 
or State agencies to manage fisheries; or 
(4) authorizes or is intended to result in a change in the 
accessibility of waters open to hunting, fishing, or other forms 
of outdoor recreation as of the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.