A U.S. House of Representatives committee on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that would federally designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail.
The National Resources Committee advanced H.R. 801 to the full House of Representatives. It can become law if the House and Senate pass it before the end of the year. The House committee heard about the bill during a hearing in November. It encountered no discernible opposition at the time.
The bill was introduced in February by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), with Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and Grace F. Napolitano (D-Calif.) as original co-sponsors. As of Wednesday, the measure totaled 21 co-sponsors.
A news release from Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership, which supports the bill, contains a quote from LaHood:
“For nearly a century, Route 66 has been a crucial transportation artery for the heartland of America. Towns like Atlanta in my district and many others across our nation have seen the Mother Road keep tourism, employment and revenues up, leading to a higher quality of life and civic pride. It is vital that we highlight and preserve this national historic roadway for future generations, and today’s committee vote gets us one step closer to that goal,” said Rep. LaHood.
Bill Thomas, chairman of the partnership, also wrote Wednesday:
The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership wants to thank everyone across the entirety of the Road and elsewhere in the country who have helped move HR801 to the point it has reached today. Now on to the next step, which is passage in the House, itself. Then forward to the Senate!
For more about the advantages of a Route 66 Historic Trail, go here.
Skopos Labs forecasts the bill’s chance to become law at 25 percent, although that grade hadn’t been adjusted to reflect Wednesday’s action by the committee. Lawmakers seem more motivated to act because of Route 66’s upcoming 100th anniversary in 2026 and the end of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program in 2019.
(Artist’s rendering of a possible Route 66 National Historic Trail sign)
This is really great news. But why hasn’t a companion bill already been introduced in the Senate? Without that this effort is going nowhere regardless of what the House does.
Excellent news!