H.R. 1612 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House May 13, 2025. Received May 14, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExpands wilderness area in Arkansas forest
This bill adds more land to the Flatside Wilderness, which is part of the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas. It also gives the wilderness a new name: the Flatside-Bethune Wilderness.
How it affects you
This is primarily a land management change. If you visit or use the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas for recreation like hiking or camping, you may see the updated wilderness boundaries and new signage, but the bill doesn't directly change how most people use public lands.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Feb 26, 2025)
Flatside Wilderness Additions Act
This bill adds specified lands to the Flatside Wilderness in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas. The bill also redesignates the wilderness as the Flatside-Bethune Wilderness.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1612
AN ACT
Flatside Wilderness Additions Act
Sponsor: Rep. J. French Hill (R-AR-2) · Introduced Feb 26, 2025 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · 4 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Oct 27, 2025: “Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 219.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 4 official versions.