Garamendi, LaMalfa, Padilla, Cornyn, announce bipartisan bill to give states more time to use disaster relief funds

Yesterday, Representatives John Garamendi and Doug LaMalfa announced the Transportation Emergency Relief Extension Act to extend the obligation deadline for using Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief funds from 2 years to 6 years. U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and John Cornyn are leading companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

Extending the deadline for using FHWA Emergency Relief funds would help account for the bureaucratic steps that must be cleared before spending such funding after a natural disaster.

In the wake of such disasters, communities turn to the FHWA’s Emergency Relief program to rebuild highways, roads and bridges.

If the funded projects have not been initiated by the end of the second fiscal year following the disaster, the Department of Transportation can rescind this funding.

However, projects are often not initiated by this deadline due to regulatory limitations or bureaucratic red tape. This legislation would extend the deadline from 2 to 6 years, allowing states more flexibility in rebuilding after emergencies.

“Americans across the country are facing increasingly frequent and severe floods and wildfires due to the climate crisis,” said Garamendi. “When disasters strike, our communities deserve nothing less than the full support of their federal government. Our bill would ensure state and local governments have adequate time to fully utilize federal funds awarded to repair roads damaged by disasters.”

“After devastating natural disasters like the California fires in January, states turn to the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief program to rebuild critical infrastructure like roads, bridges and highways,” said Padilla. “But as it currently stands, the program’s regulations often don’t give states enough time to use funds to rebuild. Our bill would afford states the time they need to complete these projects responsibly and efficiently, without the looming threat of losing the support of the federal government when it matters the most.”

“Texas is no stranger to natural disasters, and the Emergency Federal Relief Program has provided essential aid for our state to repair roadways damaged by severe weather,” said Cornyn. “I am proud to introduce legislation that will provide states with additional flexibility in spending these funds and to resolve administrative difficulties with the program, ensuring damaged federal highways and roadways across our nation can be swiftly rebuilt and repaired.”

“Over the past five years, Caltrans and our local partners have faced growing challenges securing timely approvals for Emergency Relief (ER) time extensions, putting hundreds of millions in federal disaster-recovery funds at risk,” said Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy. “We’re encouraged by the momentum to modernize the FHWA’s ER Manual — an essential step toward providing states with the clarity and consistency needed to safeguard these critical funds and support long-term recovery efforts statewide.”

“Counties need all the help we can get to rebuild after disasters, and we welcome this commonsense bill with open arms. It’ll give us the flexibility we need to get projects built without losing critical federal funds,” said California State Association of Counties (CSAC) President and Inyo County Supervisor Jeff Griffiths.

Last Congress, the lawmakers led a push for then-Secretary Pete Buttigieg to provide flexibility to states like California and Texas in using relief funds for transportation repair projects on roads, bridges, trails, and transit systems in the aftermath of natural disasters.

The Transportation Emergency Relief Extension Act is endorsed by Caltrans, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, California State Association of Counties, and National Association of Construction Engineers.

Click here to see the text of the bill.