ADAPT Assets Act to Bolster Infrastructure Resilience Against Natural Disasters – environment coastal & offshore

May 11, 2026

“Natural disasters and sea level rise put critical infrastructure at risk every day and will only intensify over time. We cannot allow the cost and complexity of repairing and safeguarding our roads, bridges, and pathways to cause further delays or deterioration,” said Congressman Garamendi. “The Bay Area is on the front lines of natural degradation due to flood and fire risk. Protecting the Bay Area shoreline from flooding through 2050 is projected to cost $100 billion. The ADAPT Assets Act is designed to reduce costs while accelerating essential infrastructure repairs that our local economies and communities depend on. This legislation will strengthen our infrastructure, create good-paying union jobs, lower long-term costs, and expedite progress while employing workers across our community.”

“Our communities can’t afford to wait around for infrastructure support. As fires, floods, and other natural disasters get worse, we need to invest in repairing and strengthening our infrastructure now,” said Congressman Thompson. “Proud to work with my colleague, Rep. Garamendi, to introduce the ADAPT Assets Act to jumpstart important infrastructure investments across our country and here at home.”

“All of us at MTC thank Congressman Garamendi and Congressman Thompson for their leadership,” said Metropolitan Transportation Commission Vice Chair and Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters. “The ADAPT Assets Act will help communities across the nation protect their infrastructure. Just as the federal government stepped up to build the national highway system and helped fund the Bay Area’s transit network, we need a strong federal partner to help us preserve these assets for future generations. There is a real urgency for communities across the North Bay, where Highway 37 is especially well-suited to compete for an ADAPT Assets grant. The route is already vulnerable to flooding and threatened by sea level rise. We’re committed to a resilient Highway 37 that will not only support the North Bay workforce day in and day out but will also serve the whole Bay Area in a time of emergency.”

“California’s ability to protect our infrastructure from natural disasters depends on new funding, as proposed in the ADAPT Assets Act, to hire reliable contractors and a skilled workforce to deliver the improvements that are needed,” said Josh Arce, Senior Advisor, California Alliance for Jobs. “SR 37 is one of the most critical and vulnerable roadways in the North Bay. In addition to addressing near-term traffic congestion at places like the Highway 37 and Route 121 intersection, we support longer-term investments that are planned to protect access along this corridor and all California roadways from sea level rise. Now is the time to act to increase federal funding to shore up our infrastructure and create tens of thousands of union construction jobs, and we are so grateful to Congressman Garamendi, Congressman Thompson, and MTC for their leadership on this issue.”

“Climate adaptation doesn’t fail for lack of ideas—it fails because funding and agencies aren’t built to work together at scale,” said Caitlin Sweeney, Executive Director of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership. “The ADAPT Act tackles that challenge head-on, creating a pathway for complex, multi-sector projects that deliver real protection for people, infrastructure, and ecosystems when and where it’s needed most.”

“I strongly support the ADAPT Act because it makes a smart, forward-looking investment in strengthening and protecting our infrastructure from the growing impacts of natural disasters,” said Assemblywoman Lori Wilson. “By acting now, we can safeguard critical infrastructure, strengthen regional resilience, and ensure our communities are prepared for the challenges ahead.”

Bill Background

The ADAPT Assets Act establishes a national framework for cost-effective disaster preparedness and would provide $2 billion every year to support the development of 10 large-scale critical infrastructure projects, including in the Bay Area, where an estimated $100 billion is required to protect the region’s shoreline from flooding through 2050.

The legislation advances critical initiatives that mitigate the risk of catastrophic damage, prolonged disruptions, and recurring emergency repairs to essential surface transportation assets. It also facilitates enhanced coordination with federal agencies, including FEMA, the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Army Corps of Engineers, and would serve as a model for the delivery of large-scale disaster resilience infrastructure projects nationwide.

View the full text of the bill HERE.