FERRIES Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The FERRIES Act increases federal funding authorizations for several ferry programs from fiscal years 2027 through 2031. It sets passenger ferry service grant funding under title 23 at $160 million in 2027, rising to $168 million in 2031. It authorizes an additional $200 million per year for urbanized-area ferry grants under title 49 section 5307(h), increases ferry formula funding under section 5336(h)(1) from $30 million to $100 million, and authorizes $140 million per year for the Ferry Fleet Modernization and Shipyard Job Creation Grant Program.
The bill converts a ferry fleet modernization pilot into an ongoing grant program for covered entities eligible under sections 5307 or 5311 and transfers that program into title 49 as section 5313. It also changes rural ferry service grants by maintaining a competitive grant program for States, allowing service to at least two rural areas without regard to distance, authorizing $300 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, and requiring at least 80 percent of funds to go to eligible services meeting the specified rural-service category.
Who Benefits and How
Passenger ferry operators, public transit ferry agencies, rural ferry services, States applying for ferry grants, and ferry fleet modernization projects benefit from larger, longer-term federal grant authorizations. Shipyards and maritime contractors benefit from fleet modernization and shipyard job creation funding. Rural communities and ferry passengers benefit if increased funding sustains or expands essential ferry service.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Secretary of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration grant administrators must update, run, and oversee the expanded ferry grant programs. States, transit agencies, and covered ferry entities must apply for grants and comply with revised eligibility and rural-funding allocation rules. Federal transportation appropriations and the Highway Trust Fund bear the increased authorizations, including $100 million per year derived from the Highway Trust Fund for rural ferry service grants.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes passenger ferry service grants at $160 million in 2027, $162 million in 2028, $164 million in 2029, $166 million in 2030, and $168 million in 2031.
- Authorizes an additional $200 million per year for title 49 section 5307(h) ferry grants.
- Raises section 5336(h)(1) ferry funding from $30 million to $100 million.
- Converts ferry fleet modernization from a pilot into an ongoing grant program and authorizes $140 million per year.
- Transfers ferry fleet modernization into title 49 as section 5313.
- Maintains rural ferry service competitive grants for States and authorizes $300 million per year from 2027 through 2031.
- Requires at least 80 percent of rural ferry funds to go to the specified eligible rural ferry services.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Increases and restructures federal passenger ferry, rural ferry, ferry fleet modernization, and ferry shipyard job creation grant funding for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Key Policy Areas
Ferry Transportation, Transit Grants, Rural Transportation, Shipyards, Federal Infrastructure Funding
Primary Purpose
Increases and restructures federal passenger ferry, rural ferry, ferry fleet modernization, and ferry shipyard job creation grant funding for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Policy Domains
Section 2 passenger, modernization, and rural ferry grant funding
Identified Gains
- Passenger ferry operators
- Public transit ferry agencies
- Rural ferry services
- States applying for rural ferry grants
- Ferry shipyards and maritime contractors
- Rural ferry passengers
Identified Costs
- Secretary of Transportation ferry grant administrators
- Federal Transit Administration grant staff
- State ferry grant applicants
- Federal transportation appropriations accounts
- Highway Trust Fund accounts
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to …
Introduced in House
Ms. Randall (for herself, Mr. Begich, Mr. Garamendi, and Ms. …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Federal Transit Administration grant staff, Federal transportation appropriations accounts, Highway Trust Fund accounts
Ferry shipyards and maritime contractors, Passenger ferry operators, Rural ferry services
Public transit ferry agencies, Rural ferry passengers
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "state"
- → State applying for rural ferry service grants
- "secretary"
- → Secretary of Transportation
- "covered_entity"
- → Recipient or designated recipient eligible for a grant under section 5307 or 5311
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A title 49 competitive grant program for States to provide basic essential ferry service in rural areas.
A recipient or designated recipient eligible for a grant under section 5307 or 5311.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology