Resilient Transit Act of 2023

HR 5980, the Resilient Transit Act of 2023, creates a new grant program to fund climate resilience improvements for public transportation systems. It provides $300 million annually (fiscal years 2024-2027) for state and local transit authorities to implement specific projects like flood barriers, temperature-regulating equipment, backup power systems, and vulnerability assessments against climate impacts such as flooding and wildfires. The bill requires grants to prioritize projects benefiting environmental justice communities, defined as areas with high poverty, unemployment, minority populations, or significant climate vulnerability, as identified by EJSCREEN and other federal tools. Recipients must report annually on funded projects and their impact on underserved communities. This is a funding mechanism, not a new law, modifying existing transit grant formulas to target climate adaptation.