Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-704
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]
Introduced: 2025-02-25
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2025-02-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-25
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act of 2025</strong></p><p>This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 and increases funding for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program&nbsp;(VPA-HIP). This Natural Resources Conservation Service program provides state and tribal governments competitive grants to encourage owners and operators of privately-held land (i.e., farm, ranch, and forest land) to allow public access for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-dependent recreation.</p><p>The bill also reauthorizes through FY2029 VPA-HIP funding to encourage public access to land covered by wetland reserve easements through agreements with states and tribal governments.</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 704 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 25, 2025 Mr. Daines (for himself, Mr. Bennet , and Mr. Marshall ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to reauthorize the voluntary public access and habitat incentive program.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act of 2025 . 2. Voluntary public access and habitat incentive program Section 1240R of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3839bb–5 ) is amended by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following: (f) Funding (1) Mandatory funding Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section $150,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. (2) Enhanced public access to wetland reserve easements To the maximum extent practicable, of the funds made available under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall use $3,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to encourage public access to land covered by wetland reserve easements under section 1265C through agreements with States and tribal governments under this section. .