Resilient Ports Act
Bill: H.R.3033 | Sponsor: Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. (D-OR)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Resilient Ports Act
This bill revises the Port Infrastructure Development Program with respect to port and intermodal improvement grants.
Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide grants for projects that will be used to improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of emissions mitigation measures directly related to reducing the overall carbon footprint from port operations.
Additionally, the bill increases from 18% to 25% the set-aside that DOT must reserve for grants for port projects that request the lesser of (1) 10% of the grant amounts made available for a fiscal year, or (2) $10 million.
In selecting projects for funding, the bill requires DOT to give substantial weight to projects that increase the port's resilience to sea-level rise, flooding, and extreme weather events, including events related to climate change.

To amend title 46, United States Code, with respect to the projects 
 eligible for certain port and intermodal improvement grants, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Resilient Ports Act''.

SEC. 2. PORT DEVELOPMENT.

    Section 50302 of title 46, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3)(A)(ii)--
                            (i) in subclause (II) by striking ``; or'' 
                        and inserting a semicolon; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following:
                                    ``(IV) emissions mitigation 
                                measures directly related to reducing 
                                the overall carbon footprint from port 
                                operations; or'';
                    (B) in paragraph (6)(B)--
                            (i) in clause (i) by striking ``; and'' and 
                        inserting a semicolon;
                            (ii) in clause (ii) by striking the period 
                        and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) projects that increase the port's 
                        resilience to sea-level rise, flooding, and 
                        extreme weather events, including such events 
                        related to climate change.'';
                    (C) in paragraph (7)(B) by striking ``18 percent'' 
                and inserting ``25 percent''; and
                    (D) in paragraph (12) by adding at the end the 
                following:
                    ``(D) Resilience.--The term `resilience' means the 
                ability to anticipate, prepare for, adapt to, 
                withstand, respond to, and recover from operational 
                disruptions and sustain critical operations at ports, 
                including disruptions caused by natural or manmade 
                hazards.
                    ``(E) Carbon footprint.--The term `carbon 
                footprint' means the total carbon-based pollutants, 
                products, and any greenhouse gases that are emitted 
                into the atmosphere resulting from the consumption of 
                fossil fuels.
                    ``(F) Climate change.--The term `climate change' 
                means detectable changes in 1 or more climate system 
                components over multiple decades, including--
                            ``(i) changes in the average temperature of 
                        the atmosphere or ocean;
                            ``(ii) changes in regional precipitation, 
                        winds, and cloudiness; and
                            ``(iii) changes in the severity or duration 
                        of extreme weather, including droughts, floods, 
                        and storms.''; and
            (2) in the heading for subsection (d) by striking 
        ``Inland'' and inserting ``Inland River''.
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