MORE DOT Grants Act

This bill makes it easier for rural counties with lots of federally owned land—and the towns and Tribes within them—to win and use U.S. Department of Transportation grants. It cuts the local match these places must pay by half, so limited local dollars can go further . It also requires the Department to offer extra help before and during the grant application period when these communities ask for it .

When choosing winners, the Department must give priority to applicants in these counties (including Tribes) that haven’t gotten support from the program in the last 10 years. It must also give special consideration for any “rural set‑aside” funds, and may prioritize Tribal governments for extra help . The Department can also ease rules that make it hard for small, remote places to compete—like scoring based on big job numbers, partnership requirements that don’t fit local reality, strict cash‑on‑hand rules, or overly complex applications .

• Who is affected: Counties with a high share of federal land, plus their local governments and Tribal governments .
• What changes:
  • Local grant match reduced by 50% .
  • Extra technical help on applications, with possible priority for Tribes .
  • Priority for communities that haven’t received support in the past decade, and special consideration for rural set‑asides .
  • Flexibility to remove barriers that disadvantage small, isolated communities .
• When: These steps would take effect if the bill becomes law (the text lays out the changes but not a separate start date) .