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

VI Innovation

VII Freight and Multimodal Transportation Programs

A Freight Policy

Sec. 7006. Freight Logistics Optimization Works Program

(a) In general. Chapter 63 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

6315. Freight Logistics Optimization Works Program

(a) Establishment. The Director, in coordination with the Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy, shall establish and maintain a program to be known as the Freight Logistics Optimization Works Program (in this section referred to as the FLOW Program) to improve freight system efficiency, resilience, and supply chain visibility through voluntary public-private data sharing.

(b) Goals. The goals of the FLOW Program shall be to—

(1) enhance visibility into national and regional freight flows;

(2) identify and mitigate freight bottlenecks;

(3) improve freight system forecasting and planning;

(4) strengthen supply chain resilience; and

(5) support data-informed freight policy development.

(c) Participation. Participation in the FLOW Program shall be voluntary and may include—

(1) port authorities;

(2) terminal operators;

(3) ocean carriers;

(4) rail carriers;

(5) motor carriers;

(6) shippers;

(7) logistics providers;

(8) warehouse operators; and

(9) any other freight stakeholders, as determined by the Director.

(d) Data protection. The Director shall ensure that data submitted to the FLOW Program is—

(1) aggregated and anonymized prior to dissemination;

(2) protected in accordance with section 6307 of this title and section 3572 of title 44; and

(3) exempt from disclosure under section 552 of title 5.

(e) Data stewardship. The Bureau shall serve as the neutral data steward and shall develop protocols to ensure data security, integrity, and appropriate access.

(f) Use of data. Data collected under the FLOW Program may be used to—

(1) produce aggregated freight performance metrics;

(2) inform freight planning and optimization; and

(3) support emergency response and supply chain resilience efforts.

(b) Coordination. Section 118 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (c)—

(A) in paragraph (6) by striking and at the end;

(B) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and

(C) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(7) to carry out the Freight Logistics Optimization Works Program established under section 6315, in coordination with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics; and

; and

(2) in subsection (d)(5) by inserting , including data aggregated through the Freight Logistics Optimization Works Program established under section 6315 after planning tools.

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