S 1238119th CongressIn Committee

Securing Smart Investments in our Ports Act

Introduced: Apr 1, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Securing Smart Investments in our Ports Act (S. 1238) would modify the Port Infrastructure Development Program to require that project selection consider equitable geographic distribution across U.S. regions. Specifically, the bill adds a new criterion for both the Port and Intermodal Improvement Program and for assistance to small inland river and coastal ports and terminals. The effect is to push the program to spread funding more evenly nationwide rather than concentrating it in a few regions. The bill does not specify funding levels or exact metrics for measuring geographic equity; implementation details would be left to the relevant agency and future rules.

Key Points

1The bill adds a new requirement to the Port Infrastructure Development Program to ensure equitable geographic distribution among U.S. regions in project selection.
2It applies to two parts of the program: (1) Port and Intermodal Improvement Program (46 U.S.C. 54301(a)(6)(B)) and (2) Assistance for Small Inland River and Coastal Ports and Terminals (46 U.S.C. 54301(b)(4)).
3The change is additive, inserting a new criterion (iv or D) into the existing statutory language to require consideration of regional balance.
4No new funding authorization is created; the bill focuses on how projects are selected rather than how much money is available.
5The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, with multiple sponsors listed.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Regions of the United States (as defined by the program), including port authorities, intermodal facilities, and operators at inland river and coastal ports.Secondary group/area affected: States and local governments that sponsor or collaborate on port projects; freight shippers and supply chain stakeholders who rely on port infrastructure.Additional impacts:- Administrative: potential data collection, reporting, and scoring adjustments to demonstrate geographic coverage in funded projects.- Economic distribution: could influence which regions receive funding, potentially improving access for underrepresented regions and small ports.- Policy implications: signals a congressional emphasis on regional equity in critical infrastructure investments, which could interact with other infrastructure or economic development programs.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 1, 2025