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Authorizes new, multiyear federal funding and program changes to expand ferry infrastructure and services nationwide for fiscal years 2027–2031. It raises and sets annual authorizations for construction of ferries and terminals, creates ongoing grant streams for urban passenger ferries, converts existing electric/low-emission ferry pilots into a standing grant program with annual funding, and establishes a competitive rural ferry service grant program with dedicated per-year funding. The bill also codifies these changes into title 49 U.S.C. and includes an appropriations heading but does not itself detail final appropriations or all funding sources. Some insertion text in the draft is garbled, making two specific apportionment amounts unclear in the provided text.
The bill provides multi-year, targeted funding to expand and decarbonize ferry service—especially protecting rural ferry operations—at the cost of increased federal spending and potential strains on the Highway Trust Fund and funding certainty for recipients.
Rural communities will keep essential ferry links because the bill authorizes a competitive rural ferry grant program at $300M per year (FY27–FY31) and requires at least 80% of those funds go to core services, helping sustain basic transportation access for remote areas.
Urban communities and passenger ferry operators receive a dedicated $200M per year (FY27–FY31) for passenger ferry grants, which can expand service, increase transit capacity in coastal and river cities, and benefit commuters and transportation workers.
State and local governments gain predictable annual construction funding for ferries—authorized at about $160M (FY27) rising to $168M (FY31)—enabling multi-year planning and investment in new vessels and terminals.
Taxpayers and other federal transportation programs could face higher costs because the authorizations increase federal spending and may put pressure on the Highway Trust Fund, potentially requiring offsets, reallocation of HTF dollars, or cuts elsewhere.
Recipients may face less predictable funding because the bill converts some previously mandatory language or pilots into discretionary language ('may'/'to the extent practicable'), reducing guaranteed obligations and making planning harder for states and operators.
Garbled or unclear statutory text and insertion errors in the bill risk implementation delays and legal uncertainty about exact apportionment amounts, which could slow project starts and complicate grant administration.
Introduced March 3, 2026 by Emily Randall · Last progress March 3, 2026