H.R. 8870
BUILD America 250 Act
Sponsor: Sam Graves
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
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
Section 5314 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in subsection (B)(ii)—
(I) by striking the development of inserting advance the development of; and
(II) by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and
(ii) by striking (1) Technical assistance and all that follows through technical assistance; and and inserting the following:
(1) In general. The Secretary may—
(A) make grants and enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, and other agreements (including agreements with departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Government) to—
(i) provide technical assistance to recipients of assistance under this chapter for purposes of enabling recipients to—
(I) more effectively and efficiently provide public transportation service;
(II) administer assistance under this chapter in compliance with Federal law; and
(III) improve public transportation; and
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by striking the heading and all that follows through competitive bid process, may and inserting through a competitive bid process,; and
(ii) by striking public-transportation-related technical assistance under this subsection and inserting technical assistance under subparagraph (A)(i);
(C) by redesignating paragraph (2) as subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) (and redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (I) of such paragraph as clauses (i) through (ix), respectively);
(D) in paragraph (3)(D) by striking subsections (b) and (c) and inserting this subsection; and
(E) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively;
(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
(b) Transit workforce development center
(1) Establishment. The Secretary shall establish a national transit workforce development center and award grants to a national nonprofit organization for purposes of supporting the workforce development needs of urban, suburban, Tribal, and rural public transportation authorities across the United States.
(2) Duties. In cooperation with the Secretary, public transportation authorities, and labor organizations representing public transportation workers, the center established under paragraph (1) shall perform the following duties:
(A) Improve access to on-the-job education and related skills training for frontline transit workers by serving as a centralized resource that provides comprehensive and relevant information on—
(i) transit-related education, pathway programs, and professional development opportunities; or
(ii) transit-related apprenticeship, scholarship, internship, and mentorship programs.
(B) Develop and maintain a comprehensive workforce strategy to help coordinate workforce development initiatives for the frontline transit workforce, including by—
(i) serving as a repository for research conducted by institutions of higher education, research institutions, or other stakeholders regarding the transit workforce and related technical and skill development;
(ii) providing a forum to support collaboration and cooperation between governmental, nongovernmental, and private public transportation sector stakeholders regarding the advancement of the frontline transit workforce;
(iii) providing instructors with the necessary instructional, leadership, and communication skills to better educate frontline transit workers;
(iv) supporting personnel or veterans of the Armed Forces seeking to transition to a career in public transportation; and
(v) promoting the recruitment, retention, job readiness and preparation of a skilled frontline workforce capable of working with new and emerging technologies that serve transit communities.
(C) Conduct and implement technical assistance activities that promote more effective and efficient training of frontline workers involved in public transportation maintenance and operations.
(D) Build awareness of youth-oriented programs and other robust outreach programs, including for primary, secondary, and post-secondary school students to enable such students to learn about public transportation occupations.
(3) Duty to maintain tax-exempt status. The center established in paragraph (1) shall be operated in a manner and for purposes that qualify the center for exemption from taxation under the Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of such Code.
(4) Political activities. The center established in paragraph (1)—
(A) shall be nonpolitical and may not provide financial aid or assistance to, or otherwise contribute to or promote the candidacy of, any individual seeking elective public office or political party; and
(B) may not engage in activities that are, directly, or indirectly, intended to be or likely to be perceived as advocating or influencing the legislative process.
(3) in subsection (c)—
(A) in paragraph (1) by striking , as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)), in order; and
(B) in paragraph (4)(A) by inserting 5308, 5311, after sections 5307, ; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
(d) Allocation of funds. Of the funds made available for each fiscal year under section 5338(a)(2)(F) to carry out this section—
(1) 28.57 percent shall be made available to carry out subsection (a); and
(2) 71.43 percent shall be split equally and be made available to carry out each of subsections (b) and (c).
(e) Definitions. In this section:
(1) Armed forces. The term armed forces has the meaning given such term in section 101 of title 10.
(2) High school; secondary school. The terms high school and secondary school have the meanings given such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(3) Institution of higher education. The term institution of higher education has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(4) Postsecondary vocational institution. The term postsecondary vocational institution has the meaning given such term in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c)).
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