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

E Project Delivery

F Hazardous Materials Transportation

Sec. 10609. Real-time train consist information rulemaking evaluation

(a) Evaluation. Not later than June 24, 2027, the Secretary shall, taking into account the rule titled Hazardous Materials: FAST Act Requirements for Real-Time Train Consist Information published on June 24, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 52956), undertake an evaluation regarding whether emergency responders, including volunteers and personnel of emergency communication centers, have access to real-time train consist information sufficient for purposes of responding to incidents.

(b) Contents. The evaluation under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) An assessment of outreach to emergency responders and whether the activities of the railroad industry, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and other relevant organizations are sufficient to meet the needs of such emergency responders with respect to access and provision of real-time train consist information.

(2) Identification of any gaps with respect to access and provision of real-time train consist information to such emergency responders and the needs of such emergency responders with respect to real-time train consist information.

(c) Report. Not later than 90 days after the completion of the evaluation under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 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 including the results of the evaluation and any changes implemented by the Secretary since completion of the evaluation to ensure emergency responders, including volunteers and personnel of emergency communication centers, have access to real-time train consist information.

(d) Class I railroad; Class II railroad; Class III railroad defined. In this section, the terms Class I railroad, Class II railroad, and Class III railroad have the meanings given such terms in section 20102 of title 49, United States Code.