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

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

Sec. 10211. State-supported cost and service policy

Section 24712 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (2) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(C) Compensation. Each member of the Committee shall serve without pay but may receive payment for travel expenses, including a per diem allowance, a reimbursement payment, or a combination thereof, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5.

(B) in paragraph (5)—

(i) in the paragraph heading by striking Meetings; rules and procedures and inserting Administrative requirements and authorities;

(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively;

(iii) by striking The Committee shall and inserting (A) Rules and procedures.—The Committee shall; and

(iv) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(B) Meeting schedule. The Committee shall—

(i) establish a schedule for meetings of the Committee, which shall be held not less frequently than 4 times per fiscal year; and

(ii) include in such schedule the location of each such meeting.

(C) Subgroups. The Committee may establish and oversee subgroups of the Committee as necessary to support the execution of Committee activities.

; and

(C) in paragraph (7)—

(i) by striking the paragraph heading and inserting Cost and service policy;

(ii) in subparagraph (A)—

(I) by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and;

(II) by striking the Committee may amend the cost methodology policy and inserting

Text this section adds to the law

the Committee—

(i) may amend the cost and service policy

; and

(III) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(iii) shall oversee, administer, and update as appropriate the cost and service policy.

(iii) in subparagraph (B)—

(I) by striking the subparagraph heading and inserting Revisions to cost and service policy;

(II) in clause (i) by striking (49 U.S.C. 20901 note) and inserting (49 U.S.C. 24101 note); and

(III) in clause (iii)—

(aa) by striking the clause heading and inserting Procedures for changing cost methods; and

(bb) by striking (49 U.S.C. 20901 note) and inserting (49 U.S.C. 24101 note);

(iv) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); and

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

Text this section adds to the law

(D) Cost method implementation. The Committee is responsible for implementation of the cost methods and any related requirements, including—

(i) transparency requirements regarding reporting and invoicing; and

(ii) collaboration and planning requirements.

(2) in subsection (h) by striking the subsection heading and inserting Cost and service policy update implementation report.;

(3) by striking cost allocation methodology and inserting cost methods each place it appears; and

(4) by striking cost methodology policy and inserting cost and service policy each place it appears.

C Passenger Rail Policy

D Rail Safety and Innovation

E Project Delivery

F Hazardous Materials Transportation