Route 66 would become a 2,400-mile National Historic Trail with limits on federal land powers
Placed on the calendarS. 2887Latest action
Sponsor: Ted Cruz · Senator · TX
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act
119th Congress
Topics: Environment & energy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
The plain-language version comes first. The official text is always the reference.
The bill would designate Route 66 a National Historic Trail while barring federal land seizures and new permit requirements along the route.
50-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
The bill would add Route 66 to the National Trails System as a National Historic Trail. It would follow every version of U.S. Highway 66 that existed between 1926 and 1985, about 2,400 miles from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California. The Secretary of the Interior would run the trail and manage it in a way that respects the road's "idiosyncratic nature."
Who does it affect?
People, towns, and businesses along the old highway in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California would be affected, along with travelers and history enthusiasts. Tribes along the route would get formal consultation before certain federal actions.
Why does it matter?
Landowners would keep their property rights, since the bill bars taking private land without consent and bars eminent domain. The designation would not create a buffer zone, would not hinder energy development, production, or transportation, and would not trigger new federal permit requirements.
AI-drafted summary. Check it against the official text before you act on it.
Based on the “Reported to Senate” text of Sep 17, 2026.
Read the official bill on Congress.govMake the call
Where does it stand?
- IntroducedSep 18, 2025
- Senate committee
- Senate voteYou are here · Sep 17, 2026
- House
- The president's desk
Right now: it was placed on the , and the official record shows no floor action on it since. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 644.