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

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

Sec. 5209. Review of New Entrant Safety Assurance Program

(a) In general. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the inspector general of the Department shall conduct a review of the New Entrant Safety Assurance Program (in this section referred to as the Program) under subpart D of part 385 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to evaluate—

(1) whether the Program effectively provides educational and technical assistance to new entrant motor carriers;

(2) opportunities to improve the efficiency and timeliness of safety audits conducted under the Program;

(3) if the Program has adequate staff to conduct the safety audits and compliance reviews in an efficient and timely manner;

(4) opportunities to implement proactive outreach strategies to engage a greater number of new entrant motor carriers early in the application and operational process;

(5) whether the requirements, processes, and timeframes of the Program are aligned with the purpose described in section 385.309 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations;

(6) strategies to ensure greater uniformity and consistency in the application of the Program to all new entrant motor carriers, regardless of assignment type; and

(7) potential improvements to ensure that safety data is effectively gathered and used to assess the safety performance of new entrant motor carriers.

(b) Consultation. In conducting the review under subsection (a), the inspector general shall consult with—

(1) State motor carrier safety enforcement agencies;

(2) representatives of the motor carrier industry, including owner-operators;

(3) commercial motor vehicle safety advocates;

(4) truck safety organizations;

(5) labor organizations representing commercial motor vehicle drivers; and

(6) other stakeholders, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.

(c) Inspector general report. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the inspector general shall submit to the Secretary a report that includes—

(1) the findings of the review conducted under subsection (a); and

(2) recommendations for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to improve the effectiveness of the Program, including actions to—

(A) enhance educational and technical assistance provided to new entrant motor carriers during the safety monitoring period;

(B) improve efficiency and timeliness of safety audits; and

(C) ensure uniformity in new entrant safety monitoring procedures.

(d) Recommendations. Not later than 6 months after the date on which the inspector general submits the report under subsection (c), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate—

(1) a summary of the findings and recommendations of the report; and

(2) for each recommendation—

(A) the Secretary intends to implement, a description of the implementation plan of the Secretary and timeline for implementation; and

(B) the Secretary does not intend to implement, an explanation as to why the Secretary does not intend to implement such recommendation.

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