Transportation Emergency Relief Extension Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4847
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Transportation and Public Works
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-08-02: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-05T21:48:05Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends federal highway law to provide greater flexibility and time for states to complete emergency relief projects funded under section 125 of title 23, United States Code. It also requires periodic updates to the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Manual.
Key Provisions
- Deadline for project advancement: The Secretary of Transportation may not require any emergency relief project to reach the construction obligation stage before the end of the sixth fiscal year following the later of a Governor’s emergency declaration or a presidential major disaster declaration.
- Extensions: The Secretary may grant a one-year extension upon a Governor’s request and additional extensions if the Governor provides suitable justification.
- Manual updates: The Secretary must update the Emergency Relief Manual at least every two years, distribute the updated version to each state department of transportation, and post it publicly on a departmental website.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill adds two new subsections (h) and (i) to section 125 of title 23, United States Code. These provisions introduce statutory time limits and extension procedures that did not previously exist, replacing any prior administrative deadlines with a minimum six-fiscal-year window and a structured extension process.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: State departments of transportation gain additional time to plan and execute emergency highway repairs, potentially reducing pressure to accelerate projects. The Federal Highway Administration must maintain and distribute updated guidance every two years.
- Citizens: Communities affected by disasters may experience more thorough and less rushed recovery of transportation infrastructure.
- International relations: No direct effects identified in the bill.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- State governors and state departments of transportation
- The Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration
- Communities and local governments recovering from declared emergencies or major disasters
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure expands statutory authority for deadline extensions in emergency relief funding, shifting some decision-making from administrative discretion to explicit congressional limits. No constitutional issues are addressed in the text.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (7)
Rep. LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26], Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31], Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2], Rep. McDonald Rivet, Kristen [D-MI-8], Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9]
Recent Actions
- 2025-08-02: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- 2025-08-01: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2025-08-01: Introduced in House
- 2025-08-01: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E748)
- 2025-08-01: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Transportation Emergency Relief Extension Act — issued 2025-08-01 — PDF (3 pages)