“To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reauthorize the wildlife crossings program.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section authorizes additional funding of $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031 for the wildlife crossings program (previously a pilot program established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) and converts the pilot program under 23 U.S.C. 171 to a permanent program by striking all references to "pilot." (The program provides competitive grants to state and local governments, tribal nations, and other entities for constructing or improving wildlife crossing structures—such as overpasses, underpasses, and fencing—to safely accommodate wildlife migration across highways and reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions.) The section further (1) sets the federal cost share at 100 percent for projects by Indian tribes; (2) authorizes the Secretary to use up to 0.5 percent of funds for tribal technical assistance, including application support and expediting project obligations; (3) authorizes the Secretary to retain up to 0.5 percent of funds for grant administration, including application review and compliance with related reporting requirements; and (4) makes any unobligated funds available until expended.