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. 1122. National highway freight and high priority corridor program

(a) In general. Section 167 of title 23, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in the section heading by inserting and high priority corridor after freight;

(2) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (1) by striking under this section to ensure that the Network provides and inserting under this section and high priority corridors identified under section 1105 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (105 Stat. 2031) to ensure that the Network and high priority corridors provide; and

(B) in paragraph (2) by striking with this section to improve the efficient movement of freight on the National Highway Freight Network. and inserting

Text this section adds to the law

with this section to—

(A) improve the efficient movement of freight on the National Highway Freight Network; and

(B) improve high priority corridors to meet the design standards and specifications of the Interstate System and connect to the existing Interstate System.

(3) in subsection (b)—

(A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (7) as paragraphs (3) through (8), respectively; and

(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(2) to increase the capacity of the National Highway Freight Network to improve freight transportation, including through improving and increasing the capacity of the Interstate System and the improvement of high priority corridors;

(4) in subsection (c)(2)—

(A) in subparagraph (C) by striking and at the end;

(B) in subparagraph (D) by striking the period and inserting ; and; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(E) high priority corridors identified under section 1105 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (105 Stat. 2031).

(5) in subsection (d)(2)—

(A) in subparagraph (B) by striking 3 percent and inserting 5 percent; and

(B) in subparagraph (E)—

(i) by redesignating clauses (vi) through (xi) as clauses (vii) through (xii), respectively; and

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

Text this section adds to the law

(vi) the movement of agricultural products and access to agriculture facilities;

(6) in subsection (e)—

(A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively;

(B) in paragraph (1) by striking A State and all that follows through and— and inserting

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A State shall designate critical rural freight corridors within the border of the State.

(2) Requirements for designation. A State may designate a public road as a critical freight corridor, pursuant to paragraph (1), if such road is not in an urbanized area and—

; and

(C) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated, by striking paragraph (2) and inserting paragraph (3);

(7) in subsection (h)—

(A) in paragraph (3)—

(i) in subparagraph (A) by striking 2 percent and inserting 2.5 percent; and

(ii) in subparagraph (B) by striking 2 percent and inserting 2.5 percent; and

(B) in paragraph (5)—

(i) in subparagraph (B)—

(I) by striking clause (iii) and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(iii) for the modernization or rehabilitation of a lock and dam, if the Secretary determines that the project is functionally connected to the National Highway Freight Network; and

; and

(II) in clause (iv) by striking project— and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting project is functionally connected to the National Highway Freight Network.; and

(ii) in subparagraph (C)—

(I) in clause (iii) by striking Intelligent transportation systems and inserting Digital infrastructure, intelligent transportation systems,;

(II) in clause (xi) by striking section 1401 of MAP–21 (23 U.S.C. 137 note) and inserting section 180;

(III) by redesignating clauses (xxii) and (xxiii) as clauses (xxiv) and (xxv), respectively;

(IV) by inserting after clause (xxi) the following:

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(xxii) A highway or bridge project to improve or increase the capacity of the National Highway Freight Network, including by increasing the capacity of the Interstate System.

(xxiii) A highway or bridge project to improve a high priority corridor, including a project to improve facilities to meet design standards and specifications for the Interstate System.

; and

(V) in clause (xxiv), as so redesignated, by striking clauses (i) through (xxi) and inserting clauses (i) through (xxiii); and

(8) in subsection (j)(1)(A)(ii) by striking ports-of entry and inserting ports of entry.

(b) Clerical amendment. The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 167 and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

167. National highway freight and high priority corridor program.

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