Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Bay Area Ridge National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act
A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Held at the desk.
Passed one chamber, waiting for the other to take it up
Passed one chamber, and the other has not yet sent it to a committee or put it on its calendar.
The other chamber will hand it to a committee, place it on its calendar, or leave it where it is. Nothing has been decided, and a bill can sit here indefinitely.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- Passed Senate unanimous consent
- Awaiting House
The Senate by unanimous consent (no one objected, so there was no vote): no senator's position on it was recorded.
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Bay Area Ridge National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act. It requires the Secretary of the Interior to study whether it is feasible to designate the Bay Area Ridge as a national scenic trail. The trail in question is a multi-use trail about 550 miles long that follows the ridgelines around the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California and connects over 75 parks and open spaces. The study must be done by consulting with appropriate State, Tribal, and local governmental agencies as well as other interested organizations, including the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council. The bill was passed by the Senate on November 10, 2026.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +5
Would people in cities be better off under this?
The trail provides significant outdoor recreation access to major urban population centers in the Bay Area.
- Scored +3
Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests?
Designating a national scenic trail enhances the management and public access to significant natural lands.
- Scored +2
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The study explores the preservation and designation of a scenic trail through diverse ecosystems.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
How the text last changed
Engrossed in Senate (11/10/2026), compared with Reported to Senate. Each change is on the Text tab.
The newer version of the bill completely removes the requirement for a feasibility study regarding the Bay Area Ridge Trail, along with all associated descriptions of the trail's length, route, and surrounding features. It also deletes the instructions that directed the Secretary of the Interior to complete and submit this study to Congress within 1 year of the paragraph's enactment. The official short title of the legislation remains unchanged as the "Bay Area Ridge National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act".
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Collaboration with local groups: Under Section 2, which adds paragraph (50)(B) to the National Trails System Act, the study must be done in consultation with appropriate State, Tribal, and local governmental agencies and interested organizations like the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, which ensures local voices are included in the process.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- The provided text does not contain any specific sections or provisions that outline potential negative consequences 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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in cities be better off under this? — The trail provides significant outdoor recreation access to major urban population centers in the Bay Area.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — Designating a national scenic trail enhances the management and public access to significant natural lands. Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The study explores the preservation and designation of a scenic trail through diverse ecosystems.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal oversight of the trail through the Secretary of the Interior.
The version one chamber actually passed
What changed from Reported to Senate
The newer version of the bill completely removes the requirement for a feasibility study regarding the Bay Area Ridge Trail, along with all associated descriptions of the trail's length, route, and surrounding features. It also deletes the instructions that directed the Secretary of the Interior to complete and submit this study to Congress within 1 year of the paragraph's enactment. The official short title of the legislation remains unchanged as the "Bay Area Ridge National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act".
Each change
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Section 1: Removed references to the Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act, details about the trail's roughly 550-mile length, incomplete route sections, and descriptions of the geographic areas, ecosystems, landmarks, and connector trails it passes through (REMOVED).
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Section 1: Removed provisions directing the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council and relevant Federal and State agencies, to complete and submit a feasibility study to Congress within 1 year of enactment (REMOVED).
Written by an AI model from a comparison of this version’s text with the one before it, not by a person. .
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- 11/12/2026
- Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Held at the desk.
- Received in the House.
- 11/10/2026
- Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5562; text: CR S5562)
- 9/17/2026
- 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. 666.
- 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.
- 1/29/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/28/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Introduced in Senate
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California