Sinkhole Mapping Act of 2025

SI-generated grade · five published checks · not individually reviewed by a person · methodology

The Sinkhole Mapping Act of 2025 is a constitutionally sound exercise of federal authority under the Commerce Clause and the General Welfare Clause. It directs the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct scientific research and publish maps—activities well within the federal government's enumerated powers. The bill does not infringe on any constitutional rights, does not restrict individual sovereignty, and appropriately delegates implementation to state and local planners without consolidating decision-making authority. It also provides for public access and does not implicate due process or takings concerns.

• ✓ Passes · Enumerated powers
  The federal government has authority to fund and conduct scientific research and mapping under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 (Commerce Clause) and Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 (General Welfare Clause). Sinkhole mapping is a national public safety and infrastructure concern that affects interstate commerce and federal lands. The USGS is a federal agency with a long-standing mission to conduct ge…
• ✓ Passes · Bill of Rights
  The bill imposes no restrictions on speech, religion, assembly, press, petition, arms, quartering, search and seizure, self-incrimination, due process, takings, trial rights, or cruel and unusual punishment. It merely directs the creation of maps and a public website, which is a government service, not a restriction. No amendment is implicated.
• ✓ Passes · Individual sovereignty
  The bill does not restrict any individual's use of their person, property, speech, labor, or belief. It imposes no mandates or prohibitions on private citizens. The maps are informational and voluntary for use by planners and emergency managers. The burden of justification for any restriction is not triggered because no restriction exists.
• ✓ Passes · Decentralization
  The bill passes all four questions of the decentralization test. (1) Individuals and families do not need to conduct geological surveys or create national sinkhole maps; this is a public good that requires specialized expertise and resources beyond individual capacity. (2) Local communities and counties lack the geological expertise and data infrastructure to map sinkhole risk on a national scale,…
• ✓ Passes · Due process and takings
  The bill does not deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, nor does it take private property for public use. It imposes no penalties, no mandatory compliance, and no adjudicative process. The public website and maps are informational and do not affect legal rights. Therefore, no due process or takings analysis is triggered.

Sources: Congress.gov: HR 900 summary