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
B Miscellaneous
C Reorganization and Consolidation of Chapter 53
IV Highway Safety
(a) In general. Section 403 of title 23, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)(1)—
(A) in subparagraph (F) by striking (E) and inserting (F);
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
(E) digital infrastructure technologies designed to improve roadway safety and prevent crashes;
(2) by striking subsection (h)(5) and inserting the following:
(5) Report. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the BUILD America 250 Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a report on the actions taken by—
(A) the Administrator in carrying out the collaborative research effort described in paragraph (2) to transfer the research findings and technology developed under this subsection to the automotive manufacturing industry; and
(B) the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the automotive manufacturing industry to deploy the research findings and technology developed under this subsection in consumer-ready vehicles.
(3) by redesignating subsections (i) through (m) as subsections (k), (l), (m), (n), and (o), respectively;
(4) by inserting after subsection (h) the following:
(i) Marijuana and polysubstance impairment research
(1) In general. The Secretary shall carry out, in coordination with heads of relevant Federal agencies, a collaborative research effort to—
(A) study the effect that marijuana and polysubstance impairment has on driving;
(B) analyze measures to detect and reduce incidences of driving under the influence of marijuana or polysubstance use, utilizing—
(i) law enforcement training;
(ii) roadside testing technologies;
(iii) toxicology labs; and
(iv) education campaigns; and
(C) propose evidence-based impairment standards for marijuana or polysubstance use.
(2) Reports. The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an annual report that—
(A) describes the progress made in carrying out the collaborative research effort; and
(B) includes an accounting for the use of Federal funds obligated or expended in carrying out such effort.
(3) Polysubstance defined. In this subsection, the term polysubstance means consumption by an individual of 2 or more potentially impairing substances simultaneously, or within a short period, including—
(A) alcohol;
(B) marijuana;
(C) prescription medications;
(D) over-the-counter medications; or
(E) illicit drugs.
(j) National drug involved crash data collection system
(1) Establishment. The Secretary shall establish a national drug involved crash data collection system (in this subsection referred to as the system) to—
(A) collect standardized toxicology data from States for fatal and serious injury crashes;
(B) link crash data with medical, coroner, hospital, and emergency medical services records; and
(C) provide model protocols for specimen collection, testing, and reporting.
(2) Grant authority. In establishing the system, the Secretary may award grants to States to—
(A) pilot enhanced data collection; and
(B) support toxicology labs, specimen collection, training, data systems, and data linkage.
(3) Privacy protections. Any data made available to the public pursuant to this subsection shall be deidentified before such data is made available to the public and used in compliance with Federal and State privacy laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–191), as applicable.
(4) Report. The Secretary shall—
(A) analyze trends, substance types, and geographic patterns collected under the system;
(B) submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an annual report for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 on the results of the analysis under subparagraph (A); and
(C) make such report publicly available.
(5) Funding. To carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall obligate from funds made available to carry out this section—
(A) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2027;
(B) $21,000,000 for fiscal year 2028;
(C) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2029;
(D) $23,000,000 for fiscal year 2030; and
(E) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2031.
(5) in subsection (n), as so redesignated—
(A) in paragraph (2)(B)(ii)(I) by inserting via mail or electronically after that motor vehicle; and
(B) in paragraph (4)(A) by striking fiscal years 2022 through 2026 and inserting fiscal years 2027 through 2031; and
(6) in subsection (o)(1), as so redesignated, by striking , other than traffic enforcement, and inserting including such countermeasures used in coordination with traffic enforcement.
(b) Impaired driving technology industry roundtable
(1) In general. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall host an industry roundtable to discuss—
(A) the latest innovations in in-vehicle technology to prevent alcohol-impaired driving;
(B) the efforts of the Department to transfer the research findings and technology developed under section 403(h)(2) of title 23, United States Code, to the automotive manufacturing industry; and
(C) the plans of the Department to educate consumers about the technology.
(2) Attendees. In hosting the roundtable described under this subsection, the Secretary shall invite—
(A) representatives of the automotive manufacturing industry;
(B) representatives of automotive suppliers of vehicle impairment prevention technology;
(C) highway safety researchers;
(D) victims and survivors of impaired driving crashes;
(E) representatives of the vehicle insurance industry;
(F) representatives of the alcohol industry; and
(G) representatives of anti-impaired driving advocacy organizations.
(3) Consideration. In carrying out the report under section 403(h)(5) of title 23, United States Code (as amended by this Act), the Secretary shall consider the findings of the roundtable hosted under this subsection.
(c) Briefing. Not later than 15 days after the submission of the report required under section 403(h)(5) of title 23, United States Code (as amended by this Act), the Secretary shall brief the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the contents of the report.
(d) Implementation timeline
(1) Model protocols. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish the model protocols required pursuant to section 403(j)(1)(C) of title 23, United States Code (as amended by this Act).
(2) Submission of data. Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall ensure that the system established under subsection (j) of section 403 of title 23, United States Code (as amended by this Act), has begun collecting standardized toxicology data from States for fatal and serious injury crashes pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) of such subsection.
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