This bill reauthorizes and changes the wildlife crossings program in title 23 of the United States Code. It authorizes $200,000,000 for each fiscal year 2027 through 2031, to be paid from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account). Those amounts are available until spent. The bill removes the word 'pilot' from section 171, making the program a permanent statutory program. It adds a provision that eligible Indian tribal entities described in subsection (c)(6) may receive a 100 percent federal share for project costs. The Secretary may use up to 0.5 percent of program funds each year for tribal technical assistance to help eligible tribal entities apply for grants and shorten the time between project selection and obligation of funds. The Secretary may also retain up to 0.5 percent of program funds each year to review applications, obligate and administer grant awards, and carry out specified statutory requirements. The bill includes a clerical update to the chapter analysis to reflect the renamed section.
If you plan, build, or manage road projects that include wildlife crossings, this bill would provide dedicated funding each year from 2027 through 2031. Tribal entities eligible under subsection (c)(6) could receive full federal funding for eligible projects and extra help applying and moving projects into active funding. The agency that runs the program (the Secretary) would be allowed to use small shares of the program funds for technical support and grant administration. The program is no longer labeled a 'pilot'.
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No publicly available information.