S 3673

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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 15, 2026

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

A BILL

To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve and reauthorize the pollinator-friendly practices on roadside highways and rights-of-way 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 “Roadside Pollinator Program Amendments Act”.

SEC. 2. POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY PRACTICES ON ROADSIDES AND HIGHWAY RIGHTS- OF-WAY.

Section 332 of title 23, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (2), by striking “; or” and inserting “included on the list published by the Secretary of the Interior under section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131);”;

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(4) a nonprofit organization that is—

“(A) described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and

“(B) exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code.”; and

(2) in subsection (d)—

(A) in paragraph (1)(F), by inserting “after consultation with the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service” before the period at the end;

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “that is a State department of transportation or a Federal land management agency” and inserting “described in paragraph (1), (3), or (4) of subsection (b)”; and

(C) in paragraph (3)—

(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and

(B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and indenting appropriately;

(ii) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking “In developing” and inserting the following:

“(A) In general.—In developing”;

(iii) in subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated)—

(I) in clause (i) (as so redesignated)— (aa) by striking “that is a State department of transportation or a Federal land management agency” and inserting “described in paragraph (1), (3), or (4) of subsection (b)”; and (bb) by striking “affected or interested Indian Tribes” and inserting “Indian Tribes described in subsection (b)(2), the Tribal land of which is located 50 miles or less from a project or practice proposed to be included in the plan”; and

(II) in clause (ii) (as so redesignated), by striking “any eligible entity” and inserting “an eligible entity described in paragraph

(1), (2), or (3) of subsection (b)”; and

(iv) by adding at the end the following:

“(B) Clarification.—Nothing in this paragraph requires additional consultation beyond consultation during the development of a plan under paragraph

(1).”;

(3) in subsection (e)(2)(B), by striking “$150,000” and inserting “$500,000”; and

(4) in subsection (l)(1), by striking “$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026” and inserting “$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031”. <all>