H.R. 5886 — Warrior Road Act

This section replaces the requirement for the Secretary of Transportation to consult periodically with the Federal Civil Defense Administrator on civil defense aspects of federally aided highways with a requirement to develop a priority listing of the three highest priority projects from each state relative to such aspects. At least every two years, the Secretary must consult with the FEMA Administrator to consider updates or reprioritization and submit each listing and update electronically to each Member of Congress.

This section directs the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of War, to submit to Congress (including in electronic format to each Member of Congress) not later than one year after enactment of this Act a report listing highway improvement projects that (1) promote national defense consistent with the core purposes of highway funding and (2) are designated as important to national defense under 23 U.S.C. 210 (i.e., defense access roads). (As background, 23 U.S.C. 210 authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to fund construction, reconstruction, enhancements, and maintenance of defense access roads—including bridges, tunnels, and hydraulic structures—certified by the Secretary of Defense as important to national defense and serving military reservations, defense industry sites, deployment ports, or raw material sources.) The list must include not less than three highest-priority projects in each state.

This section requires the Secretary of Transportation, in awarding discretionary grants under title 23, United States Code, to prioritize projects designated as important to national defense under 23 U.S.C. 210 (i.e., defense access road projects) and under 23 U.S.C. 311 (i.e., defense highways). It further conditions a state or metropolitan planning organization's eligibility for apportionment funds under 23 U.S.C. 104 on such entity ensuring priority for those projects.