Highway Bill Increases Funding to Improve Tribal Road Safety

Statement

U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), worked with Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works chairman U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and with other conferees, to secure the inclusion of several key provisions for Indian tribes in the final passage of H.R. 22, the legislative vehicle for the highway bill.

The legislation includes substantial funding increases for the Tribal Transportation Program (TTP) through fiscal year 2020 -- a top priority for Indian tribes. The TTP helps provide safer transportation and public road access for American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

In the Barrasso-Inhofe agreed language in H.R. 22, the TTP will receive an immediate increase of $15 million for fiscal year 2016 and $10 million every year thereafter, culminating in $505 million for tribes in fiscal year 2020. Compared with current law, this would be an increase of nearly $55 million by 2020.

The increases in the act mirror S. 1776, the Tribal Infrastructure and Roads Enhancement and Safety Act (TIRES Act), a bill sponsored by chairman Barrasso. The TIRES Act passed the SCIA unanimously on July 22, 2015.

"Fixing dangerous roads in Indian Country can become a reality," said Chairman Barrasso. "Now tribes can begin to address the significant backlog of road safety projects. I would like to thank Senators Inhofe and Boxer, as well as all the conferees, for recognizing that this backlog is a real problem for the people who have to drive these roads daily. Safer roads will help save lives, spur economic development and promote stronger communities across Indian Country."

H.R. 22 also includes other items that were part of the SCIA-passed TIRES Act, including:

· A reduction in the administrative fees that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) charges Indian tribes for road work and safety projects, from 6 percent to 5 percent, resulting in millions more dollars for tribal road safety;

· A study at the U.S. Department of Transportation to examine the quality of transportation safety data collected that can benefit tribes in preventing crashes and seeking reimbursement from those that damage tribal roads; and

· A study at the U.S. Department of the Interior to examine ways to improve safety on public roads on Indian reservations.

The TIRES act was comprised of provisions supported by individual tribes and the Tribal Transportation Unity Caucus. The legislation will now advance to the president for his signature.

Background

Nationwide, just 17 percent of tribal roads were deemed acceptable by the BIA. According to the Federal Highway Administration, 70 percent of tribal roads remain unpaved, and 14 percent of bridges are structurally deficient. The Center for Disease Control lists motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death for Native American children.

On April 22, 2015, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held an ""

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