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

B Miscellaneous

Sec. 3107. Public transit first aid and emergency medical kit equipment and training

(a) In general. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall convene a transportation rulemaking committee, and designate such committee pursuant to section 102(k) of title 49, United States Code, to review and develop findings and recommendations relating to whether or not covered recipients should equip covered public transportation vehicles and public transportation stations with first aid kits and emergency medical kits.

(b) Membership. The transportation rulemaking committee convened under subsection (a) shall consist of members appointed by the Secretary, including representatives of—

(1) rolling stock manufacturers, including original equipment manufacturers;

(2) rural transit agencies;

(3) urban transit agencies;

(4) transit workers;

(5) labor unions representing transit workers;

(6) licensed physicians; and

(7) other stakeholders the Secretary determines appropriate.

(c) Considerations. The transportation rulemaking committee convened under subsection (a) shall consider—

(1) the benefits and costs (including the costs of route diversions and emergency stoppages) of requiring covered public transportation vehicles and public transportation stations to be equipped with—

(A) basic first aid kits; and

(B) medications or equipment necessary to be included in emergency medical kits;

(2) whether the contents of the emergency medical kit should include, at a minimum, appropriate medications and equipment that can practicably be administered to address—

(A) the emergency medical needs of children and pregnant women;

(B) opioid overdose;

(C) anaphylaxis; and

(D) cardiac arrest;

(3) what contents of the emergency medical kits should be readily available, to the extent practicable, for use by public transportation operators or the general public without prior approval by a medical professional;

(4) training requirements, including recurring training, for frontline employees of public transportation agencies regarding use of first aid kits and emergency medical kits; and

(5) the storage location of first aid kits and emergency medical kits on board covered public transportation vehicles and at public transportation stations.

(d) Report to Congress

(1) In general. Not later than 12 months after the date on which the rulemaking committee described in subsection (a) is convened, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report based on the findings of such rulemaking committee.

(2) Contents. The Secretary shall include in the report required under paragraph (1)—

(A) any findings or recommendations submitted by the transportation rulemaking committee convened under subsection (a) to the Secretary;

(B) if applicable, any dissenting positions of individual representatives of such rulemaking committee on the findings or recommendations described in subparagraph (A) and the rationale for each dissenting position; and

(C) any actions the Secretary intends to initiate, if necessary, as a result of such findings and recommendations.

(e) Definitions. In this section:

(1) Covered public transportation vehicle. The term covered public transportation vehicle means rolling stock used in revenue service by a covered recipient.

(2) Covered recipient. The term covered recipient means a public transit agency required to establish a comprehensive agency safety plan in accordance with section 5329(d) of title 49, United States Code.

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