USGS to map sinkhole risks, give communities free hazard data

What it does

This bill directs the U.S. Geological Survey to study what causes sinkholes and create publicly available maps showing which areas are at high risk of sinkhole formation. The maps will be updated every five years and posted on a public website for city planners and emergency managers to use in land-use and disaster-preparedness decisions.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative mechanism is establishing a USGS program to study sinkhole causes and publish risk maps for public use. It is a straightforward public-information and disaster-preparedness measure with no private carve-outs, subsidies, or immunity grants.

What the text implies

• Maps may influence property values and insurance rates in identified high-risk zones, creating secondary economic effects for homeowners and real-estate markets.
• Availability of hazard maps may increase liability exposure for municipalities that fail to act on sinkhole-risk information in land-use or building decisions.
• Program depends on appropriations; without dedicated funding, map development and maintenance may be delayed or incomplete.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Citizens and local governments gain access to publicly available hazard information that enables better land-use decisions, emergency preparedness, and property-risk awareness. The bill imposes no restrictions on citizens' rights or remedies and creates a public good with no identified private capture or cost-shifting.

Named in the bill

United States Geological Survey (USGS), National Landslide Preparedness Act, 3D elevation data, community planners, emergency managers

Where it stands

8 cosponsors: 6 Democrats, 2 Republicans.

• Jan 31, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 31, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources and Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”
• Apr 9, 2025 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Apr 9, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Unanimous Consent”
• Jul 14, 2025 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3223)”
• Jul 14, 2025 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended”
• Sep 16, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

3 lobbying clients named this bill on 6 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $676,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 4 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 61% of bills with at least one filing.

Darren Soto, the sponsor, reported $1,604,076 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Hartford Insurance Group (fka Hartford Financial Services Group) — $640,000 on 2 filings
• National Society of Professional Surveyors — $36,000 on 2 filings
• Council on Federal Procurement of Architectural Engineering Svc — $0 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.