Sponsors (6)
The bill creates predictable, multi-year federal funding—including full federal coverage and technical assistance for tribal wildlife crossing projects—to accelerate construction and access, while increasing federal spending commitments and modestly concentrating funds toward tribal projects and administrative reserve.
Tribal governments and residents: eligible tribal wildlife crossing projects receive 100% Federal funding, eliminating upfront cost barriers and enabling more tribal-led crossings on tribal lands.
State, local, and rural communities: establishes a standing program with multi-year authorized funding (FY2026–FY2031), providing predictable, sustained support for planning and delivering wildlife crossing projects.
Tribes and other grant recipients: authorizes up to 0.5% of funds for tribal technical assistance and allows unobligated balances to remain available until expended, improving tribes' access to grants and reducing the risk that awarded funds lapse before project completion.
All taxpayers and federal budget priorities: the multi-year authorization increases federal spending commitments for FY2026–FY2031, which could raise demands on taxpayers or crowd out other federal priorities.
Non-tribal applicants (state and local governments): providing a 100% Federal share for tribal projects may shift funding priorities and reduce competition or available funds for nontribal projects.
Grant recipients: permitting the Secretary to retain up to 0.5% for administration slightly reduces the total dollars available for on-the-ground projects.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
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 $00,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2026–2031 to carry out grants and related activities. The bill adds tribal-focused provisions: a 100% Federal cost share for qualifying tribal applicants, a small set‑aside (up to 0.5%) for tribal technical assistance to help with applications and project delivery, and a small administrative set‑aside (up to 0.5%) for grant review and program administration. It also allows unobligated balances to remain available until spent and updates statutory text to remove the word “pilot.”