Targeted Resilient Transport Demo Grants Act

The Secretary of Transportation shall create a competitive grant program for up to 20 demonstration projects that test and prove technologies or methods to protect critical interstate highways, bridges, rail lines, and airports from natural hazards such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires. Eligible applicants are state DOTs, tribal governments, or public-private partnerships with at least 20% matching funds from non-federal sources. Projects must focus on interstate commerce corridors, measure outcomes like reduced downtime or repair costs, and share results publicly within 6 months of completion. Grants prioritize high-risk areas identified by FEMA hazard maps and require projects to use American-made materials where possible. No single grant exceeds $25 million, and total awards cannot surpass the funding cap. The Secretary must publish selection criteria, including cost-benefit analysis, and deny funds to applicants with past grant mismanagement. Annual progress reports go to Congress, detailing project status, spending, and resilience gains. Successful demos become models for state adoption, with no mandate on states. The program ends after the sunset period unless reauthorized.