CNMI Ferry Act

The CNMI Ferry Act would amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to expand federal ferry funding eligibility to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Specifically, it adds CNMI as an eligible recipient for funding to establish and operate basic essential ferry service in rural areas, and it redefines what counts as a "ferry service" to include CNMI-based services that are planned or operating with a regular schedule. It also explicitly treats CNMI as a rural area for purposes of the program and updates funding provisions to separately address CNMI alongside States. In short, if enacted, CNMI could access federal funds under the IIJA to develop and sustain inter-island ferry service to improve connectivity and essential transportation.