To make projects in certain counties eligible for funding under the rural surface transportation grant program, and for other purposes.

This bill expands who can get money from the federal Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program. It creates a new category called “covered counties,” which are counties with very large farm output (at least $1 billion a year total, and at least $500,000 per square mile), and it defines “farm-to-market roads” as roads inside those counties. It then sets aside 10% of the program’s funds each year specifically for projects on these farm-to-market roads. It also tells federal agencies to make and update a yearly list of the counties that qualify.

What this means for daily life: more money could go to fixing and improving rural roads that farmers, ranchers, and local businesses use to move goods to market. That can mean safer roads, faster travel, and better access for school buses, emergency vehicles, and deliveries in busy farm areas.

Key points

• Who is affected: Rural counties with very high farm production; farmers, truckers, and residents who rely on those roads.
• What changes: 10% of the program’s funds are reserved for projects on farm-to-market roads in these covered counties; a federal list of covered counties must be created and updated each year.
• When: The set-aside and county list would apply each fiscal year once the bill becomes law.