Sign in Subscribe
Congressional representatives

Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Safeguard Federal Funding for Disaster-Recovery Highway Projects

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A new bipartisan bill, introduced by Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Senator Padilla (D-CA), aims to ensure that state and local governments have adequate time to use federal funds awarded to repair roads damaged by disasters. The "Transportation Emergency Relief Extension Act" (H.R.4847/S.2635) would repeal the current 2-year regulatory deadline and provide up to 6 years for transportation projects funded through an Emergency Relief Program to advance to construction.

The bill's introduction comes amidst a growing concern about the frequency and severity of natural disasters in the United States. As Congressman Garamendi emphasized, "Americans across the country are facing increasingly frequent and severe floods and wildfires due to the climate crisis." The bill aims to address this issue by providing states with the necessary flexibility to complete disaster-recovery projects responsibly and efficiently.

Key Takeaways:

  • The "Transportation Emergency Relief Extension Act" (H.R.4847/S.2635) is a bipartisan bill introduced by Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Senator Padilla (D-CA) to safeguard federal funding for disaster-recovery highway projects.
  • Current U.S. Department of Transportation regulations allow the federal government to claw back "emergency relief" funding for highway transportation projects if those projects do not reach construction within two fiscal years of being awarded federal funds.
  • The proposed bill would repeal the current 2-year regulatory deadline and provide up to 6 years for transportation projects funded through an Emergency Relief Program to advance to construction.
  • The new 6-year deadline would start following the date on which a disaster was declared by the respective state's governor or the president.
  • The bill has received endorsements from several organizations, including the California Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Transportation, National League of Cities, and National Association of Counties.
  • According to Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy, over the past five years, Caltrans and local partners have faced growing challenges securing timely approvals for Emergency Relief (ER) time extensions, putting hundreds of millions in federal disaster-recovery funds at risk.
  • Counties need all the help they can get to rebuild after disasters, and the bill will provide them with the flexibility to complete projects without losing critical federal funds, as stated by California State Association of Counties (CSAC) President Jeff Griffiths.

Statistics:

  • Hundreds of millions in federal disaster-recovery funds have been put at risk due to challenges in securing timely approvals for Emergency Relief (ER) time extensions (Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy).
  • The proposed bill aims to provide states with the necessary flexibility to complete disaster-recovery projects responsibly and efficiently.
  • The new 6-year deadline would start following the date on which a disaster was declared by the respective state's governor or the president.

Sources:

  • Office of Congressman John Garamendi
  • Senator Padilla's office
  • Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy
  • California State Association of Counties (CSAC) President Jeff Griffiths
  • National League of Cities
  • National Association of Counties
  • Read the bill text HERE

Read more