Federal transit resilience grants target climate-vulnerable communities
S. 2299 — Resilient Transit Act of 2025 · Filed by Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 16, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a new federal grant program to help states and local governments make public transportation systems more resilient to climate change impacts like flooding, extreme weather, and sea level rise. The grants prioritize projects in low-income communities, communities of color, and tribal communities that face disproportionate environmental and health risks, with 97% of funds distributed by formula to states and 3% reserved for competitive grants.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a federal grant program for public transportation climate adaptation, with explicit equity targeting. It is straightforward infrastructure funding legislation, not a tax provision, deregulation, or hidden carve-out.
What the text implies
- Grant eligibility tied to EPA's EJSCREEN tool creates dependency on a specific federal mapping system; changes to EJSCREEN methodology could shift funding distribution without legislative action.
- Reporting requirements focus on underserved communities but do not mandate outcome metrics (e.g., ridership increases, flood prevention success), potentially limiting accountability for results.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
public transit agencies; construction and engineering firms; equipment manufacturers (pumps, sensors, HVAC systems)