SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Monarch and Polli-
nator Highway Act of 2021’’ or the ‘‘MPH Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY PRACTICES ON ROADSIDES 
AND HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 331. Pollinator-friendly practices on roadsides and 
highway rights-of-way 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 
program to provide grants to eligible entities to carry out 
activities to benefit pollinators on roadsides and highway 
rights-of-way, including the planting and seeding of na-
tive, locally appropriate grasses and wildflowers, including 
milkweed. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An entity eligible to re-
ceive a grant under this section is— 
‘‘(1) a State department of transportation; 
‘‘(2) an Indian tribe; or 
‘‘(3) a Federal land management agency. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the 
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may re-
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quire, including a pollinator-friendly practices plan de-
scribed in subsection (d). 
‘‘(d) POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY PRACTICES PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity shall in-
clude in the application under subsection (c) a plan 
that describes the pollinator-friendly practices that 
the eligible entity has implemented or plans to im-
plement, including— 
‘‘(A) practices relating to mowing strate-
gies that promote early successional vegetation 
and limit disturbance during periods of highest 
use by target pollinator species on roadsides 
and highway rights-of-way, such as— 
‘‘(i) reducing the mowing swath out-
side of the State-designated safety zone; 
‘‘(ii) increasing the mowing height; 
‘‘(iii) reducing the mowing frequency; 
‘‘(iv) refraining from mowing monarch 
and other pollinator habitat during periods 
in which monarchs or other pollinators are 
present; 
‘‘(v) use of a flushing bar and cutting 
at reduced speeds to reduce pollinator 
deaths due to mowing; or 
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‘‘(vi) reducing raking along roadsides 
and highway rights-of-way; 
‘‘(B) implementation of an integrated vege-
tation management plan that includes ap-
proaches such as mechanical tree and brush re-
moval, targeted and judicious use of herbicides, 
and mowing, to address weed issues on road-
sides and highway rights-of-way; 
‘‘(C) planting or seeding of native, locally 
appropriate grasses and wildflowers, including 
milkweed, on roadsides and highway rights-of- 
way to enhance pollinator habitat, including lar-
val host plants; 
‘‘(D) removing nonnative grasses from 
planting and seeding mixes, except for use as 
nurse or cover crops; 
‘‘(E) obtaining expert training or assist-
ance on pollinator-friendly practices, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(i) native plant identification; 
‘‘(ii) establishment and management 
of locally appropriate native plants that 
benefit pollinators; 
‘‘(iii) land management practices that 
benefit pollinators; and 
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‘‘(iv) pollinator-focused integrated ve-
getation management; or 
‘‘(F) any other pollinator-friendly practices 
the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 
‘‘(2) COORDINATION.—In developing a plan 
under paragraph (1), an eligible entity that is a 
State department of transportation or a Federal 
land management agency shall coordinate with appli-
cable State agencies, including State agencies with 
jurisdiction over agriculture and fish and wildlife. 
‘‘(3) CONSULTATION.—In developing a plan 
under paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) an eligible entity that is a State de-
partment of transportation or a Federal land 
management agency shall consult with affected 
or interested Indian tribes; and 
‘‘(B) any eligible entity may consult with 
nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher 
education, metropolitan planning organizations, 
and any other relevant entities. 
‘‘(e) AWARD OF GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 
a grant to each eligible entity that submits an appli-
cation under subsection (c), including a plan under 
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subsection (d), that the Secretary determines to be 
satisfactory. 
‘‘(2) AMOUNT OF GRANTS.—The amount of a 
grant under this section— 
‘‘(A) shall be based on the number of polli-
nator-friendly practices the eligible entity has 
implemented or plans to implement; and 
‘‘(B) shall not exceed $150,000. 
‘‘(f) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use the funds for the im-
plementation, improvement, or further development of the 
plan under subsection (d). 
‘‘(g) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the 
cost of an activity carried out with a grant under this sec-
tion shall be 100 percent. 
‘‘(h) BEST PRACTICES.—The Secretary shall develop 
and make available to eligible entities best practices for, 
and a priority ranking of, pollinator-friendly practices on 
roadsides and highway rights-of-way. 
‘‘(i) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—On request of an eli-
gible entity that receives a grant under this section, the 
Secretary shall provide technical assistance with the imple-
mentation, improvement, or further development of a plan 
under subsection (d). 
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‘‘(j) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—For each fiscal year, 
the Secretary may use not more than 2 percent of the 
amounts made available to carry out this section for the 
administrative costs of carrying out this section. 
‘‘(k) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
on which the first grant is provided under this section, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environ-
ment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives a report on the implementation of the pro-
gram under this section. 
‘‘(l) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2028. 
‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts made available 
under this section shall remain available for a period 
of 3 years after the last day of the fiscal year for 
which the funds are authorized.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chap-
ter 3 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘331. Pollinator-friendly practices on roadsides and highway rights-of-way.’’. 
Æ 
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