S. 2619 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Jul 31, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryEases transportation grants for rural public land counties
Ever wondered how rural communities get funding for roads, airports, and infrastructure projects? This bill makes it easier for counties with small populations and lots of federal land to access certain Department of Transportation grants. It reduces the local money these counties have to contribute, gives them extra help applying, and prioritizes their applications if they haven't received these grants recently.
How it affects you
If you live in a rural county where the federal government owns or manages more than half the land, your community gets a better shot at transportation funding. You'd see changes in infrastructure projects because your area has to put up less of its own money and gets priority consideration for grants. For most other people, this mainly benefits the rural communities where these conditions apply.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jul 31, 2025)
More Opportunities for Rural Economies from DOT Grants Act or the MORE DOT Grants Act
This bill revises the process for awarding grants to high-density public land counties and any units of tribal or local governments within such counties under certain Department of Transportation (DOT) programs. Examples of qualifying grant programs include the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program, the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, and the Airport Improvement Program (AIP).
The bill defines a high-density public land county as a county that has a population of not more than 100,000 people and in which the federal government owns or manages more than 50% of the land.
For these jurisdictions, any requirement for local matching funds under a qualifying grant program must be reduced by 50%.
On request, DOT must provide additional technical assistance to such jurisdictions before and during the annual application period for each qualifying grant program.
DOT must also prioritize grant applications from such jurisdictions that have not received support under the qualifying grant program during the 10-year period preceding the date of the application.
In approving applications for a qualifying grant program that includes a designated rural-set aside, DOT must give special consideration to an application from a high-density public land county or unit of local government within such a county.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 2619
A BILL
MORE DOT Grants Act
Sponsor: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) · Introduced Jul 31, 2025 · Transportation and Public Works · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jul 31, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.”