Title: Fixing Infrastructure Damaged by Disasters Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Fixing Infrastructure Damaged by Disasters Act
This bill expands the allowable uses of funds available to states for repairing federal-aid highways and other roadways damaged by natural disasters and catastrophic failures.
At the request of the governor and with approval of the Department of Transportation, a state may use funds for emergency maintenance projects (including those considered heavy or routine maintenance) that are necessary due to a natural disaster or catastrophic failure. Additionally, the bill increases the percent of funds a state may use for projects to protect public safety or to maintain or protect roadways from a disaster or catastrophic failure.
The bill also includes within the scope of natural disasters blizzards, ice storms, and wildfires.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1836 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1836

   To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide eligibility for 
   certain emergency maintenance projects under the emergency relief 
                    program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 26, 2021

 Mr. Cornyn (for himself and Mr. Kelly) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide eligibility for 
   certain emergency maintenance projects under the emergency relief 
                    program, 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 ``Fixing Infrastructure Damaged by 
Disasters Act''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY RELIEF.

    Section 125 of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ``blizzard, ice 
        storm, wildfire,'' before ``flood'';
            (2) in subsection (d), by inserting after paragraph (3) the 
        following:
            ``(4) Emergency maintenance.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of this section, on the request of a Governor of a 
        State and with the approval of the Secretary, the cost of an 
        emergency maintenance project that is necessary due to an event 
        described in subsection (a), including maintenance that would 
        be considered heavy or routine maintenance, but for the event, 
        shall be an eligible expense under this section.''; and
            (3) in subsection (g)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        Secretary''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Waiver.--On the request of a Governor of a State, the 
        Secretary may increase the amount under paragraph (1) to not 
        more than 25 percent.''.
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