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

Sec. 1207. State and eligible entity assumption of responsibility for categorical exclusions

Section 326 of title 23, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in the section heading by inserting and eligible entities after State;

(2) by striking a State and inserting an eligible entity each place it appears (excluding subsection (c)(2));

(3) by striking States and inserting eligible entities each place it appears;

(4) by striking the State and inserting the eligible entity each place it appears (excluding subsection (d)(1)(B)(iii));

(5) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (1) by striking pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality under part 1500 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on October 1, 2003) and inserting pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.);

(B) in paragraph (4) by inserting , public transportation, or rail after highway; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(5) Qualifications. For an eligible entity that is not a State, the Secretary shall establish qualifications relating to the demonstration of legal, technical, and financial capabilities before permitting such eligible entity to assume responsibility under this subsection.

(6) in subsection (c)—

(A) in paragraph (2)—

(i) in the paragraph heading by striking States and inserting eligible entities; and

(ii) by striking Governor of a State and inserting chief executive of an eligible entity; and

(B) in paragraph (3)—

(i) in subparagraph (A) by striking 3 years and inserting 5 years; and

(ii) in subparagraph (C) by striking 5 years and inserting 10 years;

(7) in subsection (d)—

(A) in paragraph (1)(B)(iii) by striking Governor of the State and inserting chief executive of the eligible entity; and

(B) in paragraph (2)—

(i) in the paragraph heading by striking State and inserting eligible entity; and

(ii) by striking 90 days and inserting 180 days;

(8) in subsection (e) in the subsection heading by striking State agency and inserting Agency; and

(9) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(g) Relationship to locally administered projects. An eligible entity granted authority under this section may, as appropriate and at the request of a local government—

(1) exercise such authority on behalf of the local government for a locally administered project; or

(2) provide guidance and training on consolidating and minimizing the documentation and environmental analyses necessary for sponsors of a locally administered project to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and any comparable requirements under State law.

(h) Eligible entity defined. In this section, the term eligible entity means—

(1) a State; or

(2) a direct recipient of funds under chapter 53 of title 49 that is located in an urbanized area with a population of more than 200,000 individuals.

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