H.R. 4399 — Resilient Transit Act of 2025

This section establishes, in the definitions applicable to federal public transportation programs, the term “resilience improvement” as having the meaning given that term in 23 USC 176(a).

This section amends the State of Good Repair Grants program (49 U.S.C. 5337)—which provides formula grants to eligible recipients for capital projects maintaining public transportation infrastructure—to establish public transportation resilience improvement grants. The new subsection (g) defines key terms, including "environmental justice community," "EJSCREEN," "EJ Index," "medically underserved community" (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 295p), and "underserved community" (generally low-income, communities of color, Tribal communities, or others disproportionately vulnerable to economic, social, environmental, or climate stressors). It authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to state and local governmental authorities for eligible activities increasing public transportation system resilience to climate change impacts (e.g., sea level rise, flooding, wildfires, extreme weather), including (1) installing flood mitigation and detection equipment; (2) replacing flood-prone or temperature-stressed equipment; (3) purchasing maintenance equipment for drainage and pumping; (4) installing temperature regulation, sensors, and backup power systems; (5) assessing vulnerabilities; and (6) planning improvements and emergency responses. Grants may finance standalone projects or components of projects under existing subsection (b)(1), with funds under 49 U.S.C. 5338(a)(2)(L) apportioned as 97.15% according to subsection (c) and 2.85% according to subsection (d). It requires annual reports to specified congressional committees describing grant activities, projects benefiting disadvantaged neighborhoods (e.g., those with above-average poverty, high Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation, underserved or medically underserved communities, or high EJ Index areas), and administrative recommendations. This section also makes conforming amendments throughout 49 U.S.C. 5337, replacing references to "section 5338(a)(2)(K)" with "section 5338(a)(2)(L)."

This section increases the FY2026 authorization of appropriations for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) formula grants (i.e., urbanized area formula grants under 49 U.S.C. §5307, rural area formula grants under §5311, and related programs) to $14,942,000,000 (from $14,642,000,000). This section also increases the authorization for FTA state of good repair grants (i.e., capital grants for maintaining public transit infrastructure such as rail and ferry systems) to $4,150,496,668 (from $3,850,496,668) and specifies that $300,000,000 for FY2026 shall be available to carry out §5337(g).