Federal pollinator program opens to nonprofits, triples funding
S. 3673 — Roadside Pollinator Program Amendments Act · Filed by Jeff Merkley (D-OR) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jan 15, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the federal pollinator-friendly roadside program to expand who can participate and receive funding. It adds nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) tax-exempt groups) as eligible partners alongside states, tribes, and federal agencies; increases the grant cap from $150,000 to $500,000 per project; and raises annual program funding from $2 million (2022–2026) to $5 million (2026–2031). It also clarifies tribal consultation requirements by limiting them to tribes within 50 miles of a project.
Why we flagged it
The bill straightforwardly expands an existing federal pollinator conservation program by broadening eligible participants, increasing funding, and clarifying tribal consultation. It is a routine reauthorization with modest enhancements to scope and resources.
What the text implies
- Nonprofit participation may shift some roadside management from state DOTs to conservation organizations, potentially changing maintenance standards or priorities on federal highway rights-of-way.
- The 50-mile tribal consultation radius is a new geographic limit that may exclude tribes with historical or cultural ties to areas beyond that distance.
- Increased funding ($5M annually vs. $2M) depends on appropriations; the bill authorizes but does not guarantee the higher amount.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill expands access to federal conservation funding, lowers barriers for nonprofits to participate in pollinator habitat restoration, and increases total program resources. Citizens benefit from more robust roadside habitat for pollinators (which support food crops and ecosystems) and broader community participation in conservation.
Who stands to gain
- nonprofit conservation organizations (501(c)(3) entities)
- state departments of transportation
- federally recognized Indian tribes
- federal land management agencies
Named in the bill
U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Secretary of the Interior, state departments of transportation, federally recognized Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3)), federal land management agencies
Where it stands
1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.
- Jan 15, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
- Jan 15, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (2,513 characters) on Sep 26, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 15,166 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-09-26.
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