§ 125. Emergency relief

(a) General Eligibility.— Subject to this section and section 120, an emergency fund is authorized for expenditure by the Secretary for the repair or reconstruction of highways, roads, and trails, in any part of the United States, including Indian reservations, that the Secretary finds have suffered serious damage as a result of—

(1) natural disaster over a wide area, such as by a flood, hurricane, tidal wave, earthquake, severe storm, or landslide; or

(2) catastrophic failure from any external cause.

(b) Restriction on Eligibility.— In no event shall funds be used pursuant to this section for the repair or reconstruction of bridges that have been permanently closed to all vehicular traffic by the State or responsible local official because of imminent danger of collapse due to a structural deficiency or physical deterioration.

(c) Funding.— Subject to the following limitations, there are authorized to be appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) such sums as may be necessary to establish the fund authorized by this section and to replenish it on an annual basis:

(1) Not more than $100,000,000 is authorized to be obligated in any 1 fiscal year commencing after September 30, 1980, to carry out the provisions of this section; except that, if in any fiscal year the total of all obligations under this section is less than the amount authorized to be obligated in such fiscal year, the unobligated balance of such amount shall remain available until expended and shall be in addition to amounts otherwise available to carry out this section each year.

(2) Pending such appropriation or replenishment, the Secretary may obligate from any funds heretofore or hereafter appropriated for obligation in accordance with this title, including existing Federal-aid appropriations, such sums as may be necessary for the immediate prosecution of the work herein authorized. Funds obligated under this paragraph shall be reimbursed from such appropriation or replenishment.

(d) The Secretary may expend funds from the emergency fund herein authorized for the repair or reconstruction of highways on Federal-aid highways in accordance with the provisions of this chapter: Provided, That

(1) obligations for projects under this section, including those on highways, roads, and trails mentioned in subsection (e) of this section, resulting from a single natural disaster or a single catastrophic failure in a State shall not exceed $100,000,000, and

(2) the total obligations for projects under this section in any fiscal year in the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shall not exceed $20,000,000. Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter actual and necessary costs of maintenance and operation of ferryboats providing temporary substitute highway traffic service, less the amount of fares charged, may be expended from the emergency fund herein authorized on Federal-aid highways. Except as to highways, roads, and trails mentioned in subsection (e) of this section, no funds shall be so expended unless the Secretary has received an application therefor from the State transportation department, and unless an emergency has been declared by the Governor of the State and concurred in by the Secretary, except that if the President has declared such emergency to be a major disaster for the purposes of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) concurrence of the Secretary is not required.

(e) The Secretary may expend funds from the emergency fund herein authorized, either independently or in cooperation with any other branch of the Government, State agency, organization, or person, for the repair or reconstruction of forest highways, forest development roads and trails, park roads and trails, parkways, public lands highways, public lands development roads and trails, and Indian reservation roads, whether or not such highways, roads, or trails are Federal-aid highways.

(f) Treatment of Territories.— For purposes of this section, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shall be considered to be States and parts of the United States, and the chief executive officer of each such territory shall be considered to be a Governor of a State.

U.S. Code

§ 125. Emergency relief