H.R. 8870

BUILD America 250 Act

Sponsor: Sam Graves

5 cosponsors
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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America's 250th Act or the BUILD America 250 Act

This bill authorizes federal surface transportation (highway, public transportation, and rail) programs and activities through FY2031. The bill also establishes or modifies Department of Transportation (DOT) programs and policies that are a part of the federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, research, hazardous materials, and rail programs. 

For example, the bill authorizes appropriations through FY2031 out of the Highway Trust Fund for the federal-aid highway program, the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program, highway safety programs, and bridge programs. The bill also authorizes funding through FY2031 for Amtrak. Current authorization for these programs expires on September 30, 2026.

Among other provisions, the bill

  • establishes a Surface Transportation Accelerator Grant (STAG) discretionary program to fund surface transportation projects in rural, urban, local, and regional communities;
  • requires the Federal Highway Administration to impose a new annual electric vehicle (EV) registration fee, starting at $130 for a covered EV and $35 for a covered plug-in hybrid vehicle;
  • exempts automated driving system technology and equipment from vehicle width requirements;
  • establishes a consolidated state block grant program that allows DOT to allocate a lump sum to participating states to fund public transportation services in rural and urbanized areas;
  • allows state rail safety inspectors to conduct railroad bridge inspections; and
  • establishes a system for state, local, and tribal governments to report safety concerns about the condition of railroad bridges.

Text of the bill

Expand all

I Federal-Aid Highways

A Authorizations and Programs

B Improved Project Delivery and Environmental Streamlining

C Miscellaneous

II Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation

III Public Transportation

A Reforms

Sec. 3009. Formula grants for rural areas

Section 5311 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and

(B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(1) Insular area. The term insular area means the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

(2) in subsection (b)(3)(B) by striking 5338(a)(2)(F) and inserting 5338(a)(2)(D);

(3) in subsection (c)—

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) by striking section 5338(a)(2)(F) and inserting section 5338(a)(2)(D) ;

(ii) in subparagraph (A) by striking and at the end;

(iii) in subparagraph (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(iv) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(C) 1 percent shall be available to carry out paragraph (4); and

(D) $25,000,000 shall be set aside each fiscal year to carry out the rural and insular ferry competitive program under section 5339(d) as such grants relate to an area described under section 5339(d)(2)(B).

(B) in paragraph (3)(C) by striking 5338(a)(2)(F) and inserting 5338(a)(2)(D);

(C) in paragraph (4)(A) by striking section 5338(a)(2)(F) that are not apportioned under paragraph (1) or (2) and inserting section 5338(a)(2)(D) that are not apportioned in accordance with paragraph (1);

(D) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and

(E) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(4) Insular area public transportation assistance program. For each fiscal year, the amounts made available under paragraph (1)(C) shall be equally apportioned for grants to insular areas for any purpose eligible under this section under such terms and conditions as may be established by the Secretary.

(4) in subsection (f)(1)(B) by striking facilities; and inserting

Text this section adds to the law

facilities, which provided the project supports intercity bus service to or from rural areas, includes all portions of such facilities regardless of—

(i) the geographic area in which such facilities are located; or

(ii) whether or not such facilities are used exclusively for intercity bus service to and from rural areas;

(5) in subsection (g)—

(A) in paragraph (3)—

(i) by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(E) notwithstanding subparagraph (D), may be derived from amounts made available to carry out the Federal lands transportation program established by section 203 of title 23; and

; and

(ii) in subparagraph (F) by striking to which and inserting (regardless of whether such a service operates in 1 or more States) to which; and

(B) in paragraph (4)—

(i) by striking For purposes of and inserting (A) Advertising and concession revenues.—For purposes of; and

(ii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

Text this section adds to the law

(B) In-kind match. With respect to an amount used as an in-kind match pursuant to paragraph (3)(F), such amount may not be used by any other recipient of a Federal award, including another Federal award under this section, to satisfy an in-kind or cost-share requirement for such Federal award.

; and

(6) in subsection (j)—

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (E) as subparagraphs (C) through (F), respectively; and

(ii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(B) Minimum apportionment. Notwithstanding clause (i) of subparagraph (A), an Indian tribe that receives an apportionment under such clause may not receive less than 0.05 percent of the amount apportioned under such clause.

; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

Text this section adds to the law

(3) Eligibility. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds apportioned pursuant to this subsection may be used by an Indian tribe in the same manner as a recipient of Federal assistance under section 5308.

B Miscellaneous

C Reorganization and Consolidation of Chapter 53

IV Highway Safety

V Motor Carriers

A General Provisions

B Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators

C Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

D Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Reform

E Safe Integration of Autonomous Commercial Motor Vehicles

VI Innovation

VII Freight and Multimodal Transportation Programs

A Freight Policy

B Multimodal Policy and Programs

VIII Miscellaneous

IX Sport Fishing and Recreational Boating Safety

X Railroads and Hazardous Materials

A Authorization of Appropriations and Grant Reforms

B Amtrak Reforms

C Passenger Rail Policy

D Rail Safety and Innovation

E Project Delivery

F Hazardous Materials Transportation