Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4585
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Transportation and Public Works
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-23: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-31T09:05:20Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program Act (H.R. 4585) aims to create a dedicated federal program to enhance transportation infrastructure in rural and agricultural areas. It focuses on improving access to farms and related facilities, addressing limitations like weight-restricted bridges, and boosting the safety and efficiency of local roads to support the agricultural economy and rural communities.
Key Provisions
- Program Establishment: The U.S. Secretary of Transportation must set up and manage the Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program under a new section (180) in title 23 of the U.S. Code (which governs highways and federal-aid programs).
- Program Goals:
- Enhance "first-mile" (from farm to road) and "last-mile" (from road to market) access to farms and facilities for producing, supplying, storing, or transporting agricultural products.
- Reduce weight-limited bridges and capacity-constrained local roads or rural minor collectors (smaller rural roads that connect local areas to larger highways).
- Improve safety, durability against weather/disasters (resiliency), and operational efficiency of essential rural roads.
- Eligible Projects: Funding can only be used for projects on local roads or rural minor collectors that:
- Replace or repair bridges to remove weight restrictions (posted limits that prevent heavy farm equipment from crossing).
- Provide or expand access to farms, agricultural facilities, or other rural economic supporters.
- Qualify under existing federal rules for critical freight or economic corridors (section 167(h)(5)(C)).
- Enhance highway safety, such as fixing high-risk rural roads (defined as those with frequent crashes or hazards under section 148).
- Federal Funding Share: The federal government covers up to 90% of project costs, with states or locals covering the rest.
- Funding Allocation: Allocates 0.536027% of certain federal highway funds (after initial distributions) to states for this program, integrated into the existing federal-aid highway apportionment system (section 104(b)).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Adds a new section (180) to chapter 1 of title 23, U.S. Code, creating the program from scratch.
- Modifies federal highway fund apportionments (section 104(b)) by adding this program to the list, slightly reducing the share for other programs (e.g., adjusting the surface transportation block grant from 2.56266964565637% to 2.02664265%) to accommodate the new allocation without increasing overall funding.
- Updates the carbon reduction program (section 175) by removing two specific clauses, likely to streamline or refocus eligible activities without detailed explanation in the bill.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The Department of Transportation (DOT) and state transportation departments will administer new funds, potentially increasing workload for project approvals and oversight but providing targeted resources for rural infrastructure.
- Citizens: Rural residents and farmers gain better road access, safer travel, and reduced delays for transporting goods, which could lower costs and improve daily life in underserved areas.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though improved agricultural transport efficiency could indirectly support U.S. exports by strengthening domestic supply chains.
- Broader Economy: Enhances rural vitality by supporting agriculture (a key U.S. sector), potentially reducing economic isolation in rural areas without affecting urban infrastructure priorities.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Farmers and Agricultural Businesses: Direct beneficiaries through improved access to markets and facilities, reducing logistics barriers for heavy equipment and goods.
- Rural Communities: Gain safer, more reliable local roads, benefiting residents, small businesses, and local economies.
- State and Local Governments: Receive apportioned funds to implement projects, with responsibility for matching the 10% non-federal share.
- Federal Government (DOT): Oversees program implementation and fund distribution.
- Transportation and Construction Industries: Opportunities for contracts on eligible road and bridge projects.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Builds on existing federal highway laws without overriding state authority, ensuring projects align with functional road classifications (a standard way to categorize roads by purpose and traffic). The 90% federal share encourages participation but maintains cost-sharing to promote fiscal responsibility.
- Constitutional: No apparent challenges; it uses Congress's spending power under the Commerce Clause to fund interstate commerce-related infrastructure, focusing on national agricultural interests without infringing on states' rights.
- Political: Politically neutral in text, but targets rural and agricultural constituencies (e.g., introduced by representatives from farm-heavy districts), potentially appealing to bipartisan support for rural development amid ongoing debates on infrastructure equity between urban and rural areas. No controversial elements like environmental mandates are introduced.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (17)
Rep. Riley, Josh [D-NY-19], Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1], Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22], Rep. Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3], Rep. Onder, Robert F. [R-MO-3], Rep. Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15], Rep. Feenstra, Randy [R-IA-4], Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3], Rep. DesJarlais, Scott [R-TN-4], Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1], Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6], Rep. Gray, Adam [D-CA-13], Rep. Wied, Tony [R-WI-8], Rep. Taylor, David J. [R-OH-2], Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3], Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2], Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-23: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- 2025-07-22: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2025-07-22: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-22: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program Act — issued 2025-07-22 — PDF (4 pages)