Bill Details
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This bill would continue a federal program that encourages private landowners to let the public use their land for outdoor recreation, like hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing, while also supporting habitat improvements. It sets aside money for the program from 2025 through 2029 and includes extra funding to help increase public access to land protected by wetland easements through agreements with states and tribal governments.
- It provides $150 million in funding over fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to run the program.
- It directs $3 million of that money, when possible, to improve public access to land covered by wetland reserve easements.
- The access improvements would be made through agreements with states and tribal governments.
Official Summaries
Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act of 2025
This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 and increases funding for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (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.
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.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1565 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1565
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to reauthorize the voluntary
public access and habitat incentive program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 25, 2025
Mrs. Dingell (for herself and Mr. Johnson of South Dakota) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to reauthorize the voluntary
public access and habitat incentive program.
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 ``Voluntary Public Access Improvement
Act of 2025''.
SEC. 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.''.
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