Tribal Roads Improvement Act

This Act may be cited as the Tribal Roads Improvement Act.

Congress finds the following:

(1) Approximately 160,000 miles of roads exist on or provide access to Tribal lands, with an estimated 65 percent in poor or failing condition.

(2) Inadequate road grading on Tribal lands contributes to increased vehicle damage, emergency response delays, reduced economic development opportunities, and isolation of Tribal communities.

(3) Poor road conditions disproportionately impact Tribal members’ access to healthcare, education, employment, and essential services.

(4) Current Federal funding for Tribal road maintenance addresses less than 35 percent of identified needs.

(5) Tribal governments possess the capacity and expertise to manage road grading projects efficiently when provided adequate resources and regulatory flexibility.

(6) Improving Tribal road infrastructure serves Federal trust responsibilities and promotes Tribal self-determination.

Section 202(a)(8)(A) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by inserting grading and after excluding road.

Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a study to determine the impact of removing the limitation on TTP road grading funds pursuant to the amendment made by section 3, including—

(1) the number of Indian Tribes spending, with respect to road grading, at least—

(A) 25 percent of the TTP funds allocated to the Indian Tribe; or

(B) $500,000;

(2) the number of miles of Tribal roads graded after the removal of the limitation;

(3) improvements in road condition ratings on participating Tribal transportation facilities;

(4) impacts on Tribal economic development, emergency response times, and community access;

(5) Tribal satisfaction with flexibility provided by the removal of the limitation; and

(6) employment of Tribal members in Tribal road grading projects.

Not later than 2 years after the completion of the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that includes—

(1) the results of the study; and

(2) recommendations with respect to addressing the continued need to Tribal road grading and ways to support Tribal road grading initiatives.

In this section:

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The term Tribal transportation facility has the meaning given the term tribal transportation facility in section 101 of title 23, United States Code.

The term TTP means a tribal transportation program as such term is used in chapter 2 of title 23, United States Code.