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

C Passenger Rail Policy

Sec. 10302. California High-Speed Rail working group

(a) In general. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a working group to conduct an assessment and make recommendations regarding the California High-Speed Rail project.

(b) Working group. The working group shall be comprised of individuals appointed with technical qualifications, professional standing, and demonstrated expertise in the field of business management, rail operations, economics, or law, including from the California High-Speed Rail Authority and at least 1 member from a group representing railroad employees, and shall also include—

(1) 1 member designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(2) 1 member designated by the majority leader of the Senate;

(3) 1 member designated by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;

(4) 1 member designated by the minority leader of the Senate; and

(5) 4 members designated by the Secretary of Transportation.

(c) Considerations. In the evaluation of the project, the working group shall consider the following:

(1) Whether the project will achieve the outcomes and criteria legally required under California Proposition 1A, approved on November 4, 2008, and subsequently codified in California statute, including—

(A) trains capable of sustained maximum operating speeds of not less than 200 miles per hour;

(B) maximum nonstop service travel times for each corridor that does not exceed—

(i) 160 minutes between San Francisco and Los Angeles;

(ii) 160 minutes between Oakland and Los Angeles;

(iii) 30 minutes between San Francisco and San Jose;

(iv) 130 minutes between San Jose and Los Angeles;

(v) 80 minutes between San Diego and Los Angeles; and

(vi) 140 minutes between Sacramento and Los Angeles; and

(C) a time interval between successive trains that is not more than 5 minutes.

(2) Whether the planned passenger service by the California High-Speed Rail Authority in the corridor or usable segment thereof will require a local, State, or Federal operational subsidy, including the initial operating segment between Merced and Bakersfield and the Phase 1 system between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and an estimate of the amount of such subsidy.

(3) Whether the route alignment reduces highway and aviation congestion, community impacts, and follows existing transportation or utility corridors.

(4) The cost and timeline estimate for completing the Phase 1 system, including—

(A) whether the California High-Speed Rail Authority has accurately estimated and planned for potential cost escalation; and

(B) whether the suggested discount rate described in the circular of the Office of Management and Budget, titled Guidelines and Discount Rates for Benefit-Cost Analysis of Federal Programs (A–94) is appropriate for the project, including the likelihood that such rate will attract private sector investment to the project.

(5) Committed sources of funding for the project, including separate estimates for the initial operating segment and the full Phase 1 system.

(6) An evaluation of the economic justification for the project.

(7) The impact of completion of the project on the ability of California to invest in and address other transportation infrastructure, including infrastructure resilience, and transportation infrastructure important to interstate commerce.

(8) Other factors related to the development and operation of the project as specified in Proposition 1a or identified by the Working Group.

(d) Report to Congress. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the working group shall transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives its report containing the assessment and recommendations described in subsection (a). Such report shall be published by the Secretary on a public facing website.

(e) Funding to California High-Speed Rail Authority. The Secretary may not make a grant or award using funds made available under this Act, or award other Federal financial assistance to the California High-Speed Rail Authority until the due date of the report described in subsection (d).

(f) Consideration of recommendation. The Secretary shall consider Working Group recommendations in determining future Federal funding requests for the California High-Speed Rail Project.

(g) Cessation. Upon submission of the report to Congress under subsection (d), or 2 years after the date of enactment of the Act, whichever is earlier, the Working Group shall cease to exist.

D Rail Safety and Innovation

E Project Delivery

F Hazardous Materials Transportation