H.R. 4039

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4039 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4039

To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to allow the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to be eligible to receive 
certain funding for use providing basic essential ferry service in 
rural areas, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 17, 2025

Ms. King-Hinds introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to allow the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to be eligible to receive 
certain funding for use providing basic essential ferry service in 
rural areas, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Connecting the Northern Mariana 
Islands through Ferry Services Act'' or the ``CNMI Ferry Act''.

SEC. 2. FERRY SERVICE FUNDING FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN 
MARIANA ISLANDS.

Section 71103 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (23 
U.S.C. 147 note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by striking ``means a ferry service'' 
and all that follows through the period and 
inserting ``means--''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(A) a ferry service that--
``(i) operated a regular schedule at any 
time during the 5-year period ending on March 
1, 2020; and
``(ii) served not less than 2 rural areas 
located more than 50 sailing miles apart; and
``(B) a ferry service operating, or being planned 
or established with the intent that the ferry service 
operate, a regular schedule in the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands.'';
(B) in paragraph (3) to read as follows:
``(3) Rural area.--
``(A) In general.--The term `rural area' has the 
meaning given the term in section 5302 of title 49, 
United States Code.
``(B) Commonwealth of the northern mariana 
islands.--For purposes of the program established under 
subsection (b), the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, and any area therein, shall be deemed 
to be a rural area.''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) State.--The term `State' means any State of the 
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and any 
other territory or possession of the United States.''; and
(2) in subsection (c) by striking ``including requirements 
for the provision of funds to States.'' and inserting 
``including--
``(1) requirements for the provision of funds to States; 
and
``(2) requirements for the provision of funds to the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for the 
establishment and operation of an eligible service.''.
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