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

Sec. 1117. Highway safety improvement program

(a) In general. Section 148 of title 23, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (4)(B)—

(i) by amending clause (xvi) to read as follows:

Text this section adds to the law

(xvi) Installation of guardrails, barriers (including suicide barriers and barriers between construction work zones and traffic lanes for the safety of road users and roadway workers), and crash attenuators.

(ii) in clause (xxiii) by striking section 1401 of the MAP–21 and inserting section 180;

(iii) in clause (xxvii)—

(I) by inserting bollards, after medians,;

(II) by striking and protected and inserting protected; and

(III) by striking features. and inserting features, or infrastructure that connects 2 or more existing segments of such roadway improvements.;

(iv) by redesignating clause (xxix) as clause (xxxii); and

(v) by inserting after clause (xxviii) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(xxix) The acquisition, development, or deployment of safety data and systems, including predictive analytics, telematics, and additional validated methodology tools.

(xxx) The purchase, installation, and performance improvements of digital infrastructure technologies, including digital alerting systems and electronic ticketing (or e-ticketing) technology.

(xxxi) A project or strategy described in a program developed pursuant to subsection (l)(2)(B).

(B) in paragraph (8) by inserting roadway worker or after , including a; and

(C) in paragraph (10) by striking traffic data and inserting other traffic data (including predictive analytics, telematics, and additional validated methodology tools used for risk modeling and planning);

(2) in subsection (c)(2)—

(A) in subparagraph (A)—

(i) in clause (v) by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon;

(ii) in clause (vi) by inserting and after the semicolon; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(vii) to evaluate project effectiveness using both post-crash data and predictive analytics, telematics, or additional validated methodology tools;

(B) in subparagraph (B)(i)—

(i) by inserting construction work zones, after roadside obstacles,; and

(ii) by inserting , and roadway workers after pedestrians; and

(C) in subparagraph (D)—

(i) in clause (iii)—

(I) by striking (including motorcyclists) and inserting , motorcyclists; and

(II) by inserting roadway workers, after pedestrians,; and

(ii) in clause (vi) by striking and pedestrians, and inserting pedestrians, and roadway workers,;

(3) in subsection (d)(2)(A)(i) by inserting every 3 years after of the State;

(4) in subsection (g)(1)—

(A) by striking next fiscal year and inserting next 3 fiscal years;

(B) by inserting annual before amount equal to; and

(C) by striking 200 and inserting 300;

(5) in subsection (h)(1)(C)—

(A) in clause (ii) by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon;

(B) in clause (iii) by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(iv) the occurrences of fatalities and serious injuries at construction work zones.

(6) in subsection (l)(2)(A)—

(A) in clause (ii)—

(i) by striking of the locations; and

(ii) by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon;

(B) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv); and

(C) by inserting after clause (ii) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(iii) considers the location of fatalities and serious injuries, including roadside obstacles, construction work zones, railway-highway crossing needs, the presence of or absence of dedicated infrastructure for vulnerable road users, and unmarked or poorly marked roads; and

; and

(7) in subsection (l)(2)(B) by striking subparagraph (A)(iii) and inserting subparagraph (A)(iv).

(b) Report. In implementing the amendment to section 148(d)(2) of title 23, United States Code, the Secretary may permit a State to take such actions as are necessary to align the submission of the strategic highway safety plan with the submission of the triennial highway safety plan, pursuant to section 402(k) of title 23, United States Code.

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

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