The CNMI Ferry Act amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to make the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands eligible for federal funding to establish and operate basic ferry services between its islands. The bill expands the definition of eligible ferry services to include both traditional ferry operations serving rural areas more than 50 miles apart and new ferry services being planned or established in the Northern Mariana Islands. The legislation treats the entire Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as a rural area for purposes of accessing these federal transportation funds. This change allows the Northern Mariana Islands to compete for grants alongside U.S. states and other territories to improve inter-island connectivity in this remote Pacific region. The bill does not specify a total funding amount but directs that funds be made available through the existing Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act program.
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