I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2738 

To amend title 23, United States Code, to encourage and facilitate efforts 

by States and other transportation rights-of-way managers to adopt 

integrated vegetation management practices, including enhancing plantings of native forbs and grasses that provide habitats and forage for 

Monarch butterflies, native bees, and other native pollinators, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 11, 2015 

Mr. HASTINGS (for himself, Mr. DENHAM, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. CONYERS, and 

Ms. PINGREE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend title 23, United States Code, to encourage and 

facilitate efforts by States and other transportation 

rights-of-way managers to adopt integrated vegetation 

management practices, including enhancing plantings of 

native forbs and grasses that provide habitats and forage 

for Monarch butterflies, native bees, and other native 

pollinators, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Highways Bettering 

3 the Economy and Environment Pollinator Protection 

4 Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) The roadside vegetation management prac8 tices of both State governments and the Federal 

9 Government aim to secure motorist safety, reduce 

10 the presence of noxious weeds, manage stormwater 

11 runoff, and stabilize the soil. 

12 (2) Native forbs and grasses are less likely to 

13 encroach onto roads than invasive species, such as 

14 kudzu. 

15 (3) Integrated vegetation management practices 

16 could reduce the cost of maintaining roadside vege17 tation. 

18 (4) Native forbs and grasses are better adapted 

19 to local conditions and thus require less active man20 agement, reducing the need to replant, weed, and 

21 mow the areas adjacent to the road. 

22 (5) Pollinators, such as native bees, honey bees, 

23 birds, bats, Monarch butterflies, and other butter24 flies, are suffering drastic population loss. 

25 (6) Pollinators are vital for American agri26 culture. 


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1 (7) Responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of 

2 food we eat, a diverse pollinator population is nec3 essary for maintaining the diversity of our plant life 

4 and food supply. 

5 (8) Studies have shown supporting native forbs 

6 and grasses along the roadside can be beneficial to 

7 the pollinator population by providing migratory cor8 ridors and habitat and forage connectivity. 

9 (9) Plantings of noninvasive, locally appropriate 

10 milkweed species can create migratory way stations 

11 for the endangered Monarch butterfly and can facili12 tate migrations of other pollinators. 

13 (10) Enhancing pollinator populations on 

14 rights-of-way can result in improved pollination serv15 ices for neighboring lands, including agriculture and 

16 wildlife ecosystems. 

17 (11) Highway rights-of-way managed by States 

18 represent 17,000,000 acres of pollinator habitat con19 servation opportunity, and similar opportunities and 

20 benefits exist on other transportation rights-of-way. 

21 SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS TO ENCOURAGE 

22 POLLINATOR HABITAT AND FORAGE ON 

23 TRANSPORTATION RIGHTS-OF-WAY. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 319 of title 23, United 

25 States Code, is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘beauty adja2 cent’’ and inserting ‘‘beauty (including the enhance3 ment of habitat and forage for pollinators) adja4 cent’’; and 

5 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(c) ENCOURAGEMENT OF POLLINATOR HABITAT

7 AND FORAGE DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECTION ON

8 TRANSPORTATION RIGHTS-OF-WAY.—In carrying out any 

9 program administered by the Secretary, the Secretary 

10 shall, in conjunction with willing States, as appropriate— 

11 ‘‘(1) conduct or encourage integrated vegetation 

12 management practices on roadsides and other trans13 portation rights-of-way, including reduced mowing; 

14 ‘‘(2) enhance the development of habitat and 

15 forage for Monarch butterflies, other native polli16 nators, and honey bees through plantings of native 

17 forbs and grasses, including noninvasive, native 

18 milkweed species that can serve as migratory way 

19 stations for butterflies and can facilitate migrations 

20 of other pollinators; 

21 ‘‘(3) encourage leveraging through partnerships 

22 and coordination with stakeholders in support of pol23 linators and plantings of native forbs and grasses, 

24 such as environmental groups, research institutions, 


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1 other agencies, businesses, and community organiza2 tions; 

3 ‘‘(4) conduct or facilitate research and dem4 onstration projects on the economic and environ5 mental benefits and best practices for integrated 

6 vegetation management, reduced mowing, and plant7 ings of native forbs and grasses for pollinator habi8 tat, forage, and migratory way stations for Monarch 

9 butterflies and other migrating pollinators; and 

10 ‘‘(5) solicit participation in any activities out11 lined under paragraphs (1) through (4), by rep12 resentatives of transportation landscape manage13 ment, pollinator health, agriculture, horticulture, 

14 and other affected communities.’’. 

15 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 

16 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor17 tation shall transmit to Congress a report that includes— 

18 (1) an analysis of current programs and au19 thorities available to carry out section 319(c) of title 

20 23, United States Code; 

21 (2) a summary of programs and authorities 

22 being used to implement such section; 

23 (3) an assessment of actions being taken by 

24 willing State transportation departments and other 

25 managers of transportation rights-of-way to impleVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:17 Jun 16, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2738.IH H2738

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1 ment integrated vegetation management practices, 

2 reduce mowing, and enhance habitat and forage for 

3 Monarch butterflies, other native pollinators, and 

4 honey bees through plantings of native forbs and 

5 grasses and migratory way stations for Monarch 

6 butterflies and other migrating pollinators; 

7 (4) a summary of Department of Transpor8 tation funds expended for activities undertaken pur9 suant to such section; and 

10 (5) any recommendations for further action. 

11 SEC. 4. PROVISION OF HABITAT, FORAGE, AND MIGRATORY 

12 WAY STATIONS FOR MONARCH BUTTERFLIES, 

13 OTHER NATIVE POLLINATORS, AND HONEY 

14 BEES. 

15 Section 329(a)(1) of title 23, United States Code, is 

16 amended by inserting ‘‘provision of habitat, forage, and 

17 migratory way stations for Monarch butterflies, other na18 tive pollinators, and honey bees,’’ before ‘‘and aesthetic 

19 enhancement’’. 

Æ 


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