Sinkhole Mapping Act of 2025

Enumerated powers · passes

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 geological surveys, and this bill falls squarely within that mandate.

Bill of Rights · passes

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.

Individual liberty · passes

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.

Decentralization · passes

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, and sinkhole risk often crosses jurisdictional boundaries. (3) States could theoretically conduct their own mapping, but the federal government has a legitimate interest in coordinating data and ensuring consistent standards, especially for interstate hazards and federal lands. (4) The bill does not consolidate decision-making; it provides information to local planners and emergency managers, leaving all land-use and emergency response decisions at the local and state level. The federal role is limited to research and dissemination.

Due process and takings · passes

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.