Congress·In Committee·S. 1238

Congress moves to spread federal port infrastructure grants more evenly across US regions

Securing Smart Investments in our Ports Act

12 months ago·View on Congress.gov

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

Congress would require port infrastructure grants to be picked with an “equitable geographic distribution” across US regions.
This would shape how projects are chosen in a federal port improvement program, not create a new program or funding stream.
Smaller inland river ports and coastal ports would also have to be considered in a way that spreads awards across regions.
For communities, this could mean port upgrades (roads, docks, freight connections) are less likely to cluster in a few states and more likely to reach underfunded areas.

InfrastructureTransportationTrade

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Apr 1, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Apr 1, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

After the bill becomes law and the next grant cycle is run under the updated rules

Port grant evaluators begin applying a “fair geographic distribution” requirement when choosing projects

If your region has been overlooked in past port grants, your local port may have a better chance of getting funded—especially smaller inland river or coastal terminals