Bill > HR4039

This bill amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand ferry service funding eligibility for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Specifically, the bill modifies the definition of "ferry service" to include services that: (1) operated on a regular schedule at any time during the five-year period ending March 1, 2020, and (2) served at least two rural areas located more than 50 sailing miles apart. Additionally, the bill explicitly includes the CNMI and its areas as "rural areas" for the purpose of ferry service funding, which means the territory can now qualify for federal transportation funds to establish and operate ferry services. The bill broadens the definition of "State" to include U.S. territories like the CNMI, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. This legislative change aims to support transportation infrastructure development in the CNMI by providing federal funding opportunities for establishing essential ferry services that connect different parts of the island chain.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4039/all-info