Wildlife Road Crossing Program Reauthorization Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3503 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3503

  To reauthorize and improve the wildlife crossings program, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 16, 2025

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To reauthorize and improve the wildlife crossings 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 ``Wildlife Road Crossing Program 
Reauthorization Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. WILDLIFE CROSSINGS PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated out 
        of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) 
        for the wildlife crossings program under section 171 of title 
        23, United States Code, $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
        2027 through 2031.
            (2) Availability.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, amounts made available under paragraph (1) shall be 
        available until expended.
    (b) Wildlife Crossings Program.--
            (1) In general.--Section 171 of title 23, United States 
        Code, is amended--
                    (A) in the section heading, by striking ``pilot'';
                    (B) by striking ``pilot'' each place it appears;
                    (C) by redesignating subsections (h) and (i) as 
                subsections (k) and (l), respectively; and
                    (D) by inserting after subsection (g) the 
                following:
    ``(h) Federal Share for Indian Tribes.--In the case of a grant 
under the program provided to an eligible entity described in 
subsection (c)(6), the Federal share of the cost of the project shall 
be 100 percent.
    ``(i) Tribal Technical Assistance.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall use an amount equal 
        to not more than 0.5 percent of the amounts made available to 
        carry out the program for each fiscal year to improve the 
        ability of eligible entities described in subsection (c)(6) to 
        access funding for projects under the program in an efficient 
        and expeditious manner by providing to those entities 
        application assistance, technical assistance, and assistance in 
        reducing the period of time between the selection of the 
        project and the obligation of funds for the project.
            ``(2) Use of funds.--Amounts used under paragraph (1) may 
        be expended--
                    ``(A) by the Secretary; or
                    ``(B) through contracts with--
                            ``(i) a Federal, Tribal, regional, or State 
                        government entity;
                            ``(ii) a private entity; or
                            ``(iii) a nonprofit entity.
    ``(j) Grant Administration.--The Secretary may retain not more than 
a total of 0.5 percent of the amounts made available to carry out the 
program for each fiscal year--
            ``(1) to review applications for grants under the program;
            ``(2) to obligate and administer grant awards selected 
        under the program; and
            ``(3) to carry out the requirements of--
                    ``(A) section 172; and
                    ``(B) subsections (b)(6) and (i)(3) of section 
                144.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The analysis for chapter 1 of 
        title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
        relating to section 171 and inserting the following:

``171. Wildlife crossings program.''.
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