Sponsors (10)
The bill secures dedicated federal funding and tribal support to build wildlife crossings and improve safety and habitat connectivity, but does so by increasing discretionary spending and creating small administrative set-asides while permanently locking in the program, which may limit future re-evaluation and crowd out other priorities.
Rural communities and motorists: establishes a permanent $100M/year wildlife crossings program (FY2026–2031 authorized) providing stable federal funding to build crossings that reduce animal-vehicle collisions and restore habitat connectivity.
Tribal governments and residents: tribes can receive grants covering 100% of eligible project costs and the program authorizes up to 0.5% for tribal technical assistance, lowering financial and capacity barriers to deliver crossings on tribal lands.
Program fund recipients and local governments: unobligated funds are allowed to remain available until expended, improving continuity and reducing the chance that authorized money lapses before projects start.
Taxpayers: authorizing $100M per year increases federal discretionary transportation spending and could raise fiscal pressures or crowd out other priorities.
Taxpayers and local governments: making the program permanent may limit opportunities for future re-evaluation or pilot-style experimentation that could optimize program design before full expansion.
Program fund recipients and local governments: permitting the Secretary to retain up to 0.5% for administration slightly reduces the funds available for actual projects.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Converts the wildlife crossings pilot to a permanent program, authorizes $100M/year for FY2026–2031, and adds enhanced tribal cost‑share and technical assistance provisions.
Official title: To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reauthorize the wildlife crossings program.
Introduced November 18, 2025 by Donald Sternoff Beyer · Last progress November 18, 2025
Converts the existing wildlife crossings pilot into a permanent federal program and authorizes $100 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to fund wildlife crossing projects. The bill also increases tribal support by allowing 100% federal cost share for eligible tribal grants, authorizes tribal technical assistance funding, permits small administrative set‑asides, and makes unobligated funds available until expended.