BE SAFE Act of 2019

Bolstering Emergency routes to Save Americans From Extreme weather Act of 2019 or the BE SAFE Act of 2019

This bill directs the Federal Highway Administration to provide grants to certain governmental entities and planning organizations for transportation infrastructure projects in rural counties that connect small communities to broader thoroughfares and evacuation routes that are essential for supporting mass evacuations caused by emergency weather events.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1709 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1709

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a grant program 
   to improve evacuation routes in rural communities, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 4, 2019

 Mr. Jones (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Cassidy) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a grant program 
   to improve evacuation routes in rural communities, 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 ``Bolstering Emergency routes to Save 
Americans From Extreme weather Act of 2019'' or the ``BE SAFE Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. EVACUATION ROUTE PROGRAM.

    (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish a competitive 
grant program that would improve emergency evacuation routes in small 
and rural communities through--
            (1) the construction of State and local connector roads 
        that facilitate access to broader thoroughfares, such as 
        Federal highways; and
            (2) the improvement or expansion of existing roads and 
        bridges where traffic congestion is a concern for the safe and 
        efficient evacuation of small communities and rural counties in 
        the event of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, 
        wildfires, and flooding.
    (b) Establishment of Program.--The Secretary of Transportation, 
acting through the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration 
(referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary''), shall establish a 
competitive grant program in accordance with this section to provide 
grants to eligible entities described in subsection (c) for 
transportation infrastructure projects in rural counties that connect 
small communities to broader thoroughfares and evacuation routes that 
are essential for supporting mass evacuations caused by emergency 
weather events.
    (c) Eligible Entities.--The Secretary may award a grant under this 
section to any of the following entities:
            (1) A State.
            (2) A regional planning organization or economic 
        development authority.
            (3) A unit of local government.
            (4) A political subdivision of a State or unit of local 
        government.
            (5) A special purpose district or public authority with a 
        transportation function, including a port authority or airport.
            (6) A Federal land management agency that applies for the 
        grant jointly with a State or group of States.
            (7) A Tribal government or a consortium of Tribal 
        governments.
    (d) Eligible Projects.--The Secretary may award a grant under this 
section for a project--
            (1) in an area that is--
                    (A) within a city or county with a population of 
                less than 200,000 individuals; and
                    (B) frequently impacted by extreme weather events 
                and related hazards, as designated by the Administrator 
                of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and
            (2)(A) to build new connector roads;
            (B) to improve or expand existing roads that are inadequate 
        for efficient evacuation;
            (C) to expand 2-lane bridges that require expansion for 
        efficient evacuation;
            (D) to extend existing highways to connect to the 
        Interstate System (as defined in section 101(a) of title 23, 
        United States Code), more directly; or
            (E) to connect State and local roads and highways to 
        evacuation routes in adjacent States.
    (e) Maximum Amount.--The Secretary may award a grant under this 
section in an amount that is not greater than $100,000,000.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out 
this section.
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