CONGRESS FOR VOTERS

Steve Daines (R-MT)

Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act of 2025

S. 704 · Senate bill Agriculture and Food

A Republican bill with 4 Democratic cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors

Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

In committee

Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.

The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.

Its path through Congress

  1. Introduced
  2. In Committee

What this bill would do

This bill, known as the "Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act of 2025," seeks to amend the Food Security Act of 1985. The primary goal is to reauthorize the voluntary public access and habitat incentive program. It directs the Secretary to use $150,000,000 from the Commodity Credit Corporation funds for fiscal years 2025 through 2029. Additionally, it allocates $3,000,000 of those funds specifically to encourage public access to land covered by wetland reserve easements. This specific funding is to be used through agreements with States and tribal governments.

Yes· 3 of 7

  • Scored +5

    Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?

    The bill provides funding specifically for habitat incentives and public access to wetland reserve easements.

  • Scored +3

    Would Native Americans be better off under this?

    The bill facilitates agreements with tribal governments to encourage public access to wetland reserve easements.

  • Scored +2

    Would farmers be better off under this?

    The bill reauthorizes habitat incentive programs which may benefit land management practices.

The opposite

  • Scored -1

    Does this reduce what the federal government spends?

    The bill mandates the use of $150,000,000 from Commodity Credit Corporation funds for the program.