,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #agji  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #d1 #bjai
 ,mr4 ,jones 7for himself1 ,mr4         
,kennedy1 and ,mr4 ,cassidy7 introduced 
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,environment and ,public ,works  ,a     
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,transportation to establish a grant    
program to improve evacuation routes in 
rural communities1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,bolstering         
,emergency routes to ,save ,americans   
,from ,extreme weather ,act of #bjai or 
the ,,be ,,safe ,act of #bjai4  #b4     
,evacuation route program  7a7 ,purpose 
,the purpose of this ,act is to         
establish a competitive grant program   
that would improve emergency evacuation 
routes in small and rural communities   
through--  7#a7 the construction of     
,state and local connector roads that   
facilitate access to broader            

thoroughfares1 such as ,federal         
highways2 and  7#b7 the improvement or  
expansion of existing roads and bridges 
where traffic congestion is a concern   
for the safe and efficient evacuation of
 small communities and rural counties in
 the event of extreme weather events1   
such as hurricanes1 wildfires1 and      
flooding4  7b7 ,establishment of program
 ,the ,secretary of ,transportation1    
acting through the ,administrator of the
 ,federal ,highway ,administration      
7referred to in this ,act as the        
,secretary71 shall establish a          
competitive grant program in accordance 
with this section to provide grants to  
eligible entities described in          
subsection 7c7 for transportation       
infrastructure projects in rural        
counties that connect small communities 
to broader thoroughfares and evacuation 
routes that are essential for supporting
 mass evacuations caused by emergency   
weather events4  7c7 ,eligible entities 
,the ,secretary may award a grant under 

this section to any of the following    
entities3 7#a7 ,a ,state4  7#b7 ,a      
regional planning organization or       
economic development authority4  7#c7 ,a
 unit of local government4  7#d7 ,a     
political subdivision of a ,state or    
unit of local government4  7#e7 ,a      
special purpose district or public      
authority with a transportation         
function1 including a port authority or 
airport4  7#f7 ,a ,federal land         
management agency that applies for the  
grant jointly with a ,state or group of 
,states4  7#g7 ,a ,tribal government or 
a consortium of ,tribal governments4    
7d7 ,eligible projects ,the ,secretary  
may award a grant under this section for
 a project--  7#a7 in an area that is-- 
7,a7 within a city or county with a     
population of less than #bjj1jjj        
individuals2 and  7,b7 frequently       
impacted by extreme weather events and  
related hazards1 as designated by the   
,administrator of the ,federal          
,emergency ,management ,agency2 and     

7#b7 7,a7 to build new connector roads2 
7,b7 to improve or expand existing roads
 that are inadequate for efficient      
evacuation2  7,c7 to expand #b-lane     
bridges that require expansion for      
efficient evacuation2  7,d7 to extend   
existing highways to connect to the     
,interstate ,system 7as defined in      
section #aja7;a7 of title #bc1 ,united  
,states ,code71 more directly2 or  7,e7 
to connect ,state and local roads and   
highways to evacuation routes in        
adjacent ,states4  7e7 ,maximum amount  
,the ,secretary may award a grant under 
this section in an amount that is not   
greater than #ajj1jjj1jjj4  7f7         
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated to the
 ,secretary such sums as are necessary  
to carry out this section4