HR7254-119

In Committee

To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Bay Area Ridge National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes.

119th Congress Introduced Jan 27, 2026

Summary

What This Bill Does

The bill recognizes the Bay Area Ridge Trail as a roughly 550-mile nonmotorized multi-use trail around San Francisco Bay, with about 415 miles completed and 140 miles remaining. It amends the National Trails System Act to list the Bay Area Ridge National Scenic Trail for study and describes the route as following ridgelines, hills, and mountains through more than 75 parks and open spaces. The Secretary of the Interior must complete the feasibility study within one year and submit it to Congress after consulting interested organizations, including the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council and federal or State agencies that administer affected lands.

Who Benefits and How

The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council benefits because the trail receives a federal feasibility-study mandate, which can move the corridor closer to national scenic trail designation. Hikers, bicyclists, equestrians, and other nonmotorized trail users benefit if the study advances completion and coordination of the remaining trail segments. Bay Area parks, open-space districts, and local tourism economies benefit from the possibility of a more connected regional trail linking parks, scenic resources, cultural sites, and side trails.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Interior Department must complete the feasibility study within one year, consult the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, coordinate with every relevant federal and State land-administering agency, and submit findings to Congress. Federal and State land managers along the route must provide information and participate in consultation. Local trail partners may need to document route gaps, environmental issues, access constraints, and management needs for the study process.

Key Provisions

  • Adds the Bay Area Ridge National Scenic Trail to the National Trails System Act feasibility-study list.
  • Defines the studied route as a roughly 550-mile nonmotorized trail around San Francisco Bay linking more than 75 parks and open spaces.
  • Requires the Interior Secretary to complete the study and submit it to Congress within one year.
  • Directs consultation with the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council and federal or State agencies administering lands along the route.

Evidence Chain:

This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

Adds the Bay Area Ridge Trail to the National Trails System Act feasibility-study list and requires the Interior Secretary to report to Congress within one year after consulting affected agencies and trail organizations.

Key Policy Areas

Public Lands, Tourism, State & Local Government

Primary Purpose

Adds the Bay Area Ridge Trail to the National Trails System Act feasibility-study list and requires the Interior Secretary to report to Congress within one year after consulting affected agencies and trail organizations.

Policy Domains

Public Lands Tourism State & Local Government

Substantive provisions

Identified Gains
  • Bay Area Ridge Trail Council
  • Nonmotorized trail users
  • Bay Area parks
  • Local tourism economies
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
Bay Area parks:
Local tourism economies:
Nonmotorized trail users:
Bay Area Ridge Trail Council:
Identified Costs
  • Interior Department
  • Federal land managers
  • State land managers
  • Local trail partners
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
Interior Department:
State land managers:
Local trail partners:
Federal land managers:

Legislative Progress

In Committee
Introduced Committee Passed
Jul 1, 2026

Subcommittee Hearings Held

Jun 24, 2026

Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

Jan 27, 2026

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Jan 27, 2026

Introduced in House

Jan 27, 2026

Mr. Huffman (for himself, Ms. Lofgren, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Garamendi, …

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Public Lands Tourism State & Local Government

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology