Transportation Emergency Relief Extension Act

This bill gives states more time to start rebuilding roads and bridges after disasters. It says the U.S. Department of Transportation cannot force an emergency road project to move into the construction funding stage until the end of the sixth fiscal year after the later of the governor’s emergency declaration or the President’s major disaster declaration. If more time is needed, the state can ask for a one‑year extension, and more extensions can be granted with good reason. The bill also requires the federal highway emergency guide to be updated every two years and shared with state transportation agencies and the public online.

Key points

• Who is affected: State transportation departments and communities hit by natural disasters or other emergencies.
• What changes: States get up to six fiscal years before they must move an emergency road project into construction funding, with possible extensions; the federal Emergency Relief Manual must be updated every two years and posted online.
• When: The timing rules apply after the bill becomes law; the manual must be updated within two years of enactment and then every two years.