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
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
(a) In general. Section 5107 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in subsection (e)—
(A) in the subsection heading by striking Training and inserting Hazardous materials safety training;
(B) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in subparagraph (A) by striking and at the end;
(ii) in subparagraph (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
(iii) by adding at the end of the following:
(C) for conducting national outreach and training programs to assist communities in preparing for and responding to accidents and incidents involving the transportation of hazardous materials, including Class 3 flammable liquids by rail;
(D) for training State and local personnel responsible for enforcing the safe transportation of hazardous materials, including Class 3 flammable liquids;
(E) for training emergency responders, including response activities for the transportation of crude oil, ethanol, flammable materials, and other hazardous commodities by rail, consistent with National Fire Protection Association standards; and
(F) for training or response gear needed for volunteer or career fire departments, or a combination of such fire departments, to address thermal runaway, including—
(i) equipment, including blankets to suppress thermal runaway, portable fire suppression agents, and other equipment the Secretary determines appropriate, to support the suppression of thermal runaway resulting from the transportation of lithium-ion cells or batteries;
(ii) field-deployed residual-energy assessment and cell-integrity diagnostics;
(iii) devices to monitor environmental conditions and runoff control to assist with cleanup after a thermal runaway event; and
(iv) access and containment tools, over-pack systems, and packaging for damaged, defective, or recalled lithium-ion batteries or cells.
(C) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (A) by striking for hazmat employees and inserting on hazardous materials transportation safety, including by a nonprofit organization that represents first responders or public officials responsible for coordinating disaster response and is able to provide training to individuals responsible for responding to accidents and incidents involving hazardous materials; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B) by striking a target population of hazmat employees and inserting the target populations referenced in paragraph (1); and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
(3) Grant project size. Grants made under this subsection shall not be more than $1,500,000 per award annually.
(4) Funding
(A) In general. To carry out the grant program under paragraph (1), the Secretary may use for each fiscal year any amounts recovered during such fiscal year from grants awarded under this section or section 5116 during a prior fiscal year.
(B) Other hazardous materials training activities. For each fiscal year, after providing grants under paragraph (1), if funds remain available, the Secretary may use the amounts described in subparagraph (A)—
(i) to make grants under—
(I) section 5116(a)(1)(C); and
(II) section 5116(i);
(ii) to conduct monitoring and provide technical assistance under section 5116(e);
(iii) to publish and distribute the emergency response guidance referred to in section 5116(h)(3); and
(iv) to pay administrative costs in accordance with section 5116(h)(4).
(C) Obligation limitation. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for each fiscal year, amounts described in subparagraph (A) shall not be included in the obligation limitation for the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant program for that fiscal year.
; and
(2) by striking subsection (i).
(b) Conforming change. Section 5116 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking subsection (j);
(2) by redesignating subsection (k) as subsection (j); and
(3) in subsection (j), as redesignated, by striking subsections (i) and (j) of this section and under subsections (e) and (i) of section 5107 and inserting subsection (i) of this section and under subsection (e) of section 5107.