The Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act directs the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior to prioritize updating travel and motor vehicle use plans on public lands to ensure disabled Americans have better access to outdoor recreation. The bill defines "disability-accessible land" as areas with at least 2.5 miles of roads per square mile that are open to motor vehicles, and requires federal agencies to maintain this level of access on lands that currently meet this standard. The legislation creates strict limits on road closures—agencies cannot close roads on accessible lands unless the roads were newly built within the past year or pose immediate safety threats, and they must open roads that were closed in the past decade on non-accessible lands. When agencies do close roads, they must hold public hearings, accept public comment, and nominate replacement roads to be built within one year. The bill does not specify dedicated funding and allows exemptions for wilderness areas, roadless areas, and national parks, but provides a legal presumption that roads should remain open unless agencies can demonstrate closure is clearly necessary.
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