H.R. 8870

BUILD America 250 Act

Sponsor: Sam Graves

5 cosponsors
Follow this bill

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

B Multimodal Policy and Programs

Sec. 7105. National infrastructure project assistance

Section 6701 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)(2)(E) by inserting , a lessee of a Federal surface transportation hub, after special purpose district;

(2) by striking subparagraph (E) of subsection (d)(1) and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(E) a public transportation project—

(i) that is—

(I) eligible for assistance under chapter 53; and

(II) part of a project described in any of subparagraphs (A) through (D); or

(ii) that is—

(I) eligible for assistance under section 5309; and

(II) located in an urbanized area of 200,000 or more population; or

(3) in subsection (f)—

(A) in paragraph (2)—

(i) in subparagraph (B)(v) by striking impacts, and all that follows through resilience; and inserting impacts;; and

(ii) in subparagraph (E) by striking , including with respect to short- and long-term job access, growth, or creation;

(B) in paragraph (3)—

(i) in subparagraph (C) by striking uses and all that follows through technologies and inserting uses innovative construction materials or technologies;

(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (F) as subparagraphs (E) through (G), respectively;

(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(D) whether a project would address the impact of population growth on the movement of people and freight; and

; and

(iv) in subparagraph (F), as so redesignated, by striking transportation, including and all that follows through rail; and and inserting transportation; and;

(4) in subsection (h)(1)(B) by striking for the purpose of improving habitat for aquatic species and inserting that are eligible under section 176(d) of title 23;

(5) in subsection (k) by striking 30 days and inserting 3 days; and

(6) in subsection (m)—

(A) in paragraph (1) by striking fiscal years 2022 through 2026 and inserting fiscal years 2027 through 2031; and

(B) in paragraph (2) by striking 50 percent and inserting 25 percent.

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