Emergency Relief (ER) Program
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Program Objective
Funding under this program is to aid Federal, State and local highway agencies with unusually heavy expenses of repairing serious damage to Federal-aid highways and roads on Federal lands resulting from natural disasters or catastrophic failures from an external cause.
This Assistance Listing 20.271 created in August 2025 was included in the previous ALN 20.205, please refer to former ALN 20.205 for FY24 and FY25 financial obligations. The new Assistance Listing 20.271 will be utilized by DOT at the start of FY 2026.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- U.S. State Government
State Departments of Transportation (DOTs)
How to Apply
Award Procedure
It is the responsibility of individual States to request ER funds for assistance in the cost of necessary repair of Federal-aid highways damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic failures. A notice of intent to request ER funds filed by the State Department of Transportation with the FHWA Division Office located in the State will initiate the ER application process. States are required to submit an application for ER funding to FHWA within two calendar years of the date of the disaster. The application must include a comprehensive list of all eligible project sites and repair costs.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 90 to 120 days
Program details & compliance
Description
Congress authorized the ER Program in Title 23, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 125, to
provide funds from the Highway Trust Fund for the repair or reconstruction of Federal-aid
highways and of roads on Federal lands that suffered serious damage from natural disasters or
catastrophic failures from external causes. ER funding supplements resources from States,
localities and other Federal agencies to help in the repair of facilities damaged by eligible events.
Mission Categories
Primary: Highways, Public Roads, and Bridges
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
See program notice of funding.
Matching Requirements
Approved ER funds are available at the pro-rata share that would normally apply to the Federal-aid facility damaged. For Interstate highways, the Federal share is 90 percent. For all other highways, the Federal share is 80 percent. The Federal share for permanent ER repairs may amount to 90 percent if the combined eligible ER expenses incurred by the State in a Federal fiscal year exceeds the annual apportionment of the State under 23 U.S.C. section 104 for the fiscal year in which the disasters or failures occurred. Federal Share payable for Federal Lands Management Agencies (FLMA) is 100 percent.