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Wildlife Road Crossing Program Reauthorization Act of 2025
To reauthorize and improve the wildlife crossings program, and for other purposes.
Summary
The bill reauthorizes the wildlife crossings program and increases funding to $200 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 from the Highway Trust Fund. The bill changes the program from a pilot program to a permanent program and expands eligibility to include Indian Tribes, which would receive 100 percent federal funding for their projects. The bill allocates up to 0.5 percent of annual funding for tribal technical assistance to help eligible tribal entities access funding more efficiently, and permits the Secretary to retain up to 0.5 percent of funds for grant administration and review. The legislation authorizes these funds to remain available until spent.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM)
3 cosponsors
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE)
- Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT)
- Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC)
Actions (2)
- Dec 16, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. · senate
- Dec 16, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
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.”. <all>
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