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

D Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Reform

E Safe Integration of Autonomous Commercial Motor Vehicles

Sec. 5405. Regulatory interpretations

(a) In general. Notwithstanding sections 392.22(b), 393.95(f), and 393.25(e) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulations, cab-mounted warning beacons shall be considered permissible warning devices for a commercial motor vehicle stopped upon the traveled portion or the shoulder of a highway for any cause other than necessary traffic stops and may be used in lieu of warning devices required under section 393.95(f) of such title.

(b) Prohibition. The Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shall only take administrative action that is consistent with the requirements of this section and that may be necessary to make technical or conforming amendments.

(c) Rule of construction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a commercial motor vehicle to be equipped with, or use, cab-mounted warning beacons.

(d) Cab-mounted warning beacons defined. In this section, the term cab-mounted warning beacons means auxiliary, exterior lamps that are mounted on the cab of a commercial motor vehicle in a position where such lamps are visible to approaching traffic, and are amber in color, flash, and meet the class 1 photometric performance requirements of the standard of the Society of Automotive Engineers International titled Directional Flashing Optical Warning Devices for Authorized Emergency, Maintenance and Service 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