MAP Roads Act

John R. Curtis

Republican · UT · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Mark Kelly (D-AZ)Original· 2026-07-30

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

2026-07-30

Source: Congress.gov

The federal government would create a grant program to help counties convert their road information into digital formats and make that data publicly available online. This would allow local governments, businesses, and the public to access up-to-date information about county roads, potentially improving navigation, maintenance planning, and emergency response. Counties would apply for federal funding to support the costs of digitizing their road records and creating these accessible databases.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 5181 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5181 To require the Secretary of Transportation to establish a grant program relating to the digitization of county roads and the creation of publicly accessible road datasets, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 30, 2026 Mr. Curtis (for himself and Mr. Kelly) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To require the Secretary of Transportation to establish a grant program relating to the digitization of county roads and the creation of publicly accessible road datasets, 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 Public Roads Act'' or ``MAP Roads Act''. SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNTY ROAD ACCESS AND MAPPING PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) County.--The term ``county'' has meaning given the term in section 101 of title 23, United States Code. (2) County road.--The term ``county road'' means a public road (as defined in section 101 of title 23, United States Code) that is recognized and maintained by a county government. (3) Digitization.--The term ``digitization'' means the process of converting physical or analog map-based information into standardized electronic formats to produce geospatial data. (4) Geospatial data.--The term ``geospatial data'' has the meaning given the term in section 752 of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 (43 U.S.C. 2801). (5) Program.--The term ``program'' means the pilot program established under subsection (b). (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Transportation. (b) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a pilot program to provide grants to States to support rural commerce, increase public safety, and improve public access and navigation by funding the digitization of county roads and the creation of centralized, publicly accessible road datasets. (c) Application.-- (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the program, a State shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such form, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (2) Requirement.--An application submitted under paragraph (1) shall demonstrate the capacity of the State to administer-- (A) a subgrant program to distribute funds to counties; and (B) a statewide repository for county road data. (3) Priority.--In selecting an application for a grant under the program, the Secretary shall give priority to an application in which the applicant State-- (A) identifies a significant deficiency in digitized county roads within the State; and (B) expresses a commitment to coordinating with counties to create shared geospatial data standards. (d) Use of Funds.-- (1) County activities.--Funds distributed to counties under the program may be used-- (A) to digitize official county road records; (B) to convert paper maps or outdated formats to standardized geospatial datasets; and (C) to train personnel or hire contractors to assist in data creation and conversion. (2) State repository.--The State department of transportation of each State participating in the program shall-- (A) serve as the centralized data repository for all road data produced by counties in the applicable State under the program; (B) ensure that such data-- (i) is published on a publicly accessible website; (ii) is organized in a manner that distinguishes between public and private roads; (iii) is compatible with third-party mapping platforms; and (iv) is updated not less frequently than annually; and…

(C) to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate with Federal agencies and mapping authorities to align data formats and metadata. (e) Reporting Requirements.--Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the program, and annually thereafter for 3 years, each State awarded a grant under the program shall submit to the Secretary a report, which shall include, with respect to the period of time since the previous report-- (1) a list of counties that received a subgrant; (2) the amount of funding distributed to each county; (3) the number of miles of county roads digitized under the program; (4) the status of State repository development and data integration efforts; and (5) any recommendations for improvement or expansion of the program. (f) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this Act-- (1) confers any new authority on a county or State to declare, designate, or assert jurisdiction over a road as a county road where such designation or jurisdiction does not otherwise exist under applicable State or local law; (2) alters, affects, or determines the legal status of any road for purposes of ownership, jurisdiction, or public access; or (3) limits or expands any existing rights, claims, or defenses relating to road ownership, rights-of-way, or public access under Federal, State, or local law. (g) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act permits the public disclosure of geographic information system data regarding the nature, location, character, or ownership of historic, paleontological, or archaeological resources that is protected under any other provision of law. (h) Authorization of Appropriations.-- (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031, to remain available until expended. (2) Administrative expenses.--Of the amounts made available to carry out the program for each fiscal year, the Secretary may use not more than 2 percent to administer the program. (i) Sunset.--The authority to make grants under this section shall terminate on September 30, 2031. <all>

• S5197A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for a State-sponsored nonimmigrant pilot program, and for other purposes.
  Referred to Committee · 2026-07-30
• S5153Federal Trade Commission Governance Reform Act
  Referred to Committee · 2026-07-28
• S4665BANNED in Latin America Act
  Reported by Committee · 2026-07-27
• S1542Uyghur Policy Act of 2026
  Reported by Committee · 2026-07-27