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

D Rail Safety and Innovation

Sec. 10405. Installation of image recording devices

Section 20168 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(a) In general. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the BUILD America 250 Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue regulations to require each Class I railroad to install inward- and outward-facing image recording devices in all controlling locomotive cabs and cab car operating compartments not later than 2 years after the date on which such regulations are issued.

(2) in subsection (c) by striking shall establish a process and all that follows and insert the following:

Text this section adds to the law

shall—

(1) establish a process to review and approve or disapprove an inward- or outward-facing image recording device for compliance with the standards described in subsection (b); and

(2) deem approved under this section any inward-or outward-facing image recording device installed as of the date of enactment of the BUILD America 250 Act that meets the standards described in subsection (b) for 5 years following the date on which regulations are issued under subsection (a).

(3) in subsection (f)(2) by striking passenger each place it appears; and

(4) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(k) Applicability. This section shall not apply to any railroad carrier covered by this section on the date of enactment of the FAST Act (Public Law 114–94).

E Project Delivery

F Hazardous Materials Transportation