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. 10217. Food and beverage service

(a) Evaluation of Amtrak food and beverage services

(1) In general. Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall examine the food and beverage services provided on Amtrak routes and provide recommendations for improvements.

(2) Elements. In carrying out paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall examine the following:

(A) The affordability of current dining options and possible alternatives.

(B) The quality of food services provided and possible improvements.

(C) The feasibility of providing traditional dining to all passengers.

(D) A comparison of current dining options to established dietary guidelines.

(b) Annual Amtrak report. Section 24321 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (f); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(d) Implementation advisory committee

(1) Establishment. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the BUILD America 250 Act, Amtrak shall establish an advisory committee to provide internal review with respect to the implementation by Amtrak of the recommendations contained in the report of the Comptroller General of the United States required under section 10217(a) of the BUILD America 250 Act.

(2) Membership. The advisory committee established under paragraph (1) shall consist of individuals representing—

(A) Amtrak;

(B) the labor organizations representing Amtrak employees who prepare or provide on-board food and beverage service;

(C) nonprofit organizations representing Amtrak passengers; and

(D) States that are providing funding for State-supported routes.

(3) Termination. The advisory committee established under paragraph (1) shall terminate on the date on which Amtrak submits the final report required under subsection (e)(1).

(e) Annual implementation status report

(1) Annual report. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the BUILD America 250 Act, and annually thereafter until such time as all recommendations contained in the report of the Comptroller General of the United States required under section 10217(a) of the BUILD America 250 Act are implemented by Amtrak or determined by Amtrak to be impractical or impossible to implement, Amtrak shall—

(A) submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the status of the implementation of each such recommendation; and

(B) make the report available on a publicly accessible website of Amtrak.

(2) Report contents. Each report under paragraph (1) shall include—

(A) a description of the progress made by Amtrak in implementing each recommendation contained in the report under subsection (b);

(B) an identification of each such recommendation for which implementation is complete;

(C) an identification of each such recommendation that Amtrak determines to be impractical or impossible to implement;

(D) for each recommendation identified under subparagraph (C)—

(i) the justification for the determination that the recommendation is impractical or impossible to implement; and

(ii) if the justification is all, or in part, attributable to insufficient funding, an estimated cost of implementing the recommendation;

(E) a description of how, if at all, food and beverage service of Amtrak has changed—

(i) if in the initial report, since the date of enactment of the BUILD America 250 Act; and

(ii) if in a subsequent report, since the date on which the previous report was finalized; and

(F) comments submitted by the advisory committee to Amtrak regarding the information included under subparagraphs (A) through (E).

C Passenger Rail Policy

D Rail Safety and Innovation

E Project Delivery

F Hazardous Materials Transportation