S. 5181: Modernizing Access to Public Roads Act

This bill would create a temporary federal grant program to help states and counties turn paper or outdated county road records into digital map data and make that information publicly available online.

What the program would do

• The Secretary of Transportation would have to set up the pilot program within 180 days after the law is enacted.
• The program would give grants to states, and states would then pass money through to counties through subgrants.
• The main goals are to improve rural commerce, public safety, and public access and navigation by creating better road maps and datasets.

What states would have to do to get funding

• States would need to apply for the grants in a form and manner the Transportation Secretary sets.
• They would have to show they can run a subgrant program for counties.
• They would also have to show they can manage a statewide repository for county road data.
• When choosing among applicants, the Secretary would give priority to states that:
  • have major gaps in digitized county road data, and
  • commit to working with counties on shared data standards.

How the money could be used

• Counties could use the funds to digitize official road records.
• They could convert paper maps or older formats into standardized geospatial data.
• They could also use the money to train staff or hire contractors to help create or convert the data.

What states would have to publish

• Each participating state transportation department would serve as the central repository for county road data created under the program.
• The data would have to be posted on a publicly accessible website.
• It would need to clearly distinguish between public and private roads.
• The data would need to work with third-party mapping platforms and be updated at least once a year.
• States would also be expected to coordinate, as much as practical, with federal agencies and mapping authorities so the data formats and metadata line up.

Reporting requirements

• States receiving grants would have to report to the Secretary within 180 days after the program starts, and then once a year for three years.
• Those reports would need to include:
  • which counties got funding,
  • how much each county received,
  • how many miles of county roads were digitized,
  • the status of the state data repository and integration efforts, and
  • any suggestions for improving or expanding the program.

Limits and protections

• The bill would not change who legally owns a road or who has jurisdiction over it.
• It would not give counties or states new authority to declare a road to be a county road if that is not already allowed under state or local law.
• It would not affect existing rights or legal claims about road ownership, right-of-way, or public access.
• It would not allow disclosure of protected GIS information about historic, paleontological, or archaeological resources.

Funding and duration

• The bill authorizes $20 million per year from fiscal years 2026 through 2031.
• Up to 2% of the funds could be used for federal administration.
• The authority to make grants would end on September 30, 2031.

Relevant Companies

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