H.R. 8870
BUILD America 250 Act
Sponsor: Sam Graves
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
(a) Covered highways laws. Section 101 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
(f) Automatic execution of conforming changes
(1) In general. When an amendment to a covered highways law adds a section or larger organizational unit to the covered highways law, repeals or transfers a section or larger organizational unit in the covered highways law, or amends the designation or heading of a section or larger organizational unit in the covered highways law, that amendment also shall have the effect of amending any analysis, table of contents, or similar tabular entries in the covered highways law to alter the table to conform to the changes made by the amendment.
(2) Exceptions. Paragraph (1) shall not apply to an amendment described in such paragraph when—
(A) the amendment or a clerical amendment enacted at the same time expressly amends a table of sections, table of contents, or similar tabular entries in the covered highways law to alter the table to conform to the changes made by the amendment; or
(B) the amendment otherwise expressly exempts itself from the operation of this subsection.
(3) Covered highways law defined. In this subsection, the term covered highways law means—
(A) this title;
(B) any Act that authorizes amounts to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund; or
(C) any other law designated in the text thereof as a covered highways law for purposes of application of this subsection.
(b) Purpose and automatic execution of conforming changes. Section 101 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in the section heading by inserting ; automatic execution of conforming changes after Purpose; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
(c) Automatic execution of conforming changes
(1) In general. When an amendment to a covered transportation law adds a section or larger organizational unit to the covered transportation law, repeals or transfers a section or larger organizational unit in the covered transportation law, or amends the designation or heading of a section or larger organizational unit in the covered transportation law, that amendment also shall have the effect of amending any analysis, table of contents, or similar tabular entries in the covered transportation law to alter the table to conform to the changes made by the amendment.
(2) Exceptions. Paragraph (1) shall not apply to an amendment described in such paragraph when—
(A) the amendment or a clerical amendment enacted at the same time expressly amends a table of sections, table of contents, or similar tabular entries in the covered transportation law to alter the table to conform to the changes made by the amendment; or
(B) the amendment otherwise expressly exempts itself from the operation of this subsection.
(3) Covered transportation law. In this subsection, the term covered transportation law means—
(A) this title;
(B) any Act that authorizes amounts to be appropriated out of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund; or
(C) any other law designated in the text thereof as a covered transportation law for purposes of application of this subsection.
(c) Application of amendments. Section 101(f) of title 23, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), and section 101(c) of title 49, United States Code, as added by subsection (b), shall apply to the amendments made by this section and other amendments made by this Act.
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
E Project Delivery
F Hazardous Materials Transportation