23 U.S.C. § 170 (2024)

This is the official text of 23 U.S.C. § 170 (2024), part of Federal (US Code)’s United States Code — the codified general and permanent federal statutes of the United States, organized into more than 50 numbered titles by subject.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Funding flexibility for transportation emergencies

Official statutory text

(a) In General.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a State may use up to 100 percent of any covered funds of the State to repair or replace a transportation facility that has suffered serious damage as a result of a natural disaster or catastrophic failure from an external cause.

(b) Declaration of Emergency.—Funds may be used under this section only for a disaster or emergency declared by the President pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).

(c) Repayment.—Funds used under subsection (a) shall be repaid to the program from which the funds were taken in the event that such repairs or replacement are subsequently covered by a supplemental appropriation of funds.

(d) Definitions.—In this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) Covered funds.—The term "covered funds" means any amounts apportioned to a State under section 104(b), other than amounts suballocated to metropolitan areas and other areas of the State under section 133(d), but including any such amounts required to be set aside for a purpose other than the repair or replacement of a transportation facility under this section.

(2) Transportation facility.—The term "transportation facility" means any facility eligible for assistance under section 125.

(Added Pub. L. 112–141, div. A, title I, §1515(a), July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 573.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 93–288, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 143, which is classified principally to chapter 68 (§5121 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5121 of Title 42 and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 2012, see section 3(a) of Pub. L. 112–141, set out as an Effective and Termination Dates of 2012 Amendment note under section 101 of this title.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in Federal (US Code)?

Find a Federal (US Code) lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.