S. 2299 — Resilient Transit Act of 2025

This section adds a definition of “resilience improvement”—with the meaning given that term in 23 U.S.C. 176(a) (i.e., a project that increases the resilience of highway infrastructure to natural disasters, sea level rise, flooding, extreme weather, and other adverse conditions)—to the list of terms applicable to federal public transportation programs.

This section establishes a public transportation resilience improvement grant program under 49 U.S.C. §5337(g), authorizing the Secretary of Transportation to provide grants to state and local governments for activities increasing public transportation system resilience to climate change impacts (e.g., sea level rise, flooding, wildfires, extreme weather, natural disasters). Eligible activities include installing flood mitigation and detection equipment, replacing flood-prone or temperature-stressed assets, developing backup power systems, conducting vulnerability assessments and planning, and other Secretary-approved resilience measures; grants may fund standalone projects or components of existing state of good repair projects under §5337(b)(1). The section defines key terms, including "environmental justice community," "EJSCREEN" and "EJ Index" (Environmental Protection Agency tools), "medically underserved community" (as defined in 42 U.S.C. §295p), and "underserved community" (e.g., low-income, communities of color, Tribal communities, or others disproportionately burdened by economic, social, environmental, or climate stressors). Of funds available under 49 U.S.C. §5338(a)(2)(L), 97.15% are apportioned per §5337(c) and 2.85% per §5337(d). (Thus, the program supplements existing state of good repair formula grants.) The Secretary must submit annual reports to specified congressional committees (and publish online) detailing grant activities and projects benefiting disadvantaged neighborhoods, underserved or medically underserved communities, areas with elevated EJ Index scores, or environmental justice communities. This section also makes conforming amendments to 49 U.S.C. §5337, replacing references to §5338(a)(2)(K) with §5338(a)(2)(L).

This section increases authorizations of appropriations for public transportation programs— (1) to $14.942 billion (from $14.642 billion) in paragraph (1)(E) of 49 U.S.C. 5338(a); and (2) to $4.150 billion (from $3.850 billion) in paragraph (2)(L) of such section and directs that $300 million for FY2026 shall be available to carry out section 5337(g).