Timothy Kaine (D-VA)
Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act
A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 680.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act. It requires the Secretary of the Interior to issue a right-of-way for an emergency exit on National Park Service land in Virginia. This specific exit is depicted as Proposed Egress on a designated map dated September 2024. Before issuing the right-of-way, the Secretary must report certain information to specific congressional committees. The required reports include an evaluation of non-federal land alternatives, including converting existing trails to roads. An analysis of expected fire ecology behavior during a fire emergency must also be completed. Additionally, required reviews must be finished under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and division A of subtitle III of title 54, United States Code.
Yes
- Scored +5
Does this repair or build roads and bridges?
The bill establishes a right-of-way specifically for an emergency exit/roadway on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Scored +4
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The emergency egress provides a safety exit for those traveling through this specific rural stretch of Virginia.
- Scored +2
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill mandates evaluations of alternatives and fire ecology behavior to mitigate environmental impact.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 2 requires the Secretary of the Interior to issue a right-of-way for an emergency exit on National Park Service land in Virginia. This could benefit individuals by providing a designated emergency exit route, known as Proposed Egress near milepost 9.6.
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Section 2 requires an evaluation of alternatives that do not cross federal land, including looking at whether existing trails can be converted to roads. This ensures other options are considered before utilizing federal land.
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Section 2 requires an analysis of expected fire ecology behavior in the event of a fire emergency regarding the right-of-way. This helps officials understand potential fire safety impacts for the area.
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Section 2 mandates that required reviews must be completed under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and division A of subtitle III of title 54, United States Code. This ensures environmental and historic preservation laws are followed before the exit is approved.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
Based on the provided text, there are no explicitly stated negative impacts or burdens for individuals or groups of people in the United States.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this repair or build roads and bridges? — The bill establishes a right-of-way specifically for an emergency exit/roadway on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill mandates evaluations of alternatives and fire ecology behavior to mitigate environmental impact.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The emergency egress provides a safety exit for those traveling through this specific rural stretch of Virginia.
- 9/23/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 680.
- 7/29/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 7/21/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.
- 12/2/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Mark WarnerDemocrat · Virginia