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. 1210. Training and education; best practices

(a) In general. Section 504(a) of title 23, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in paragraph (3)(A)(i)—

(A) by striking asset management, and inserting contracting, procurement, and asset management,;

(B) by redesignating subclauses (I) through (IV) as subclauses (IV) through (VII); and

(C) by inserting after the matter preceding subclause (IV) (as redesignated by this section) the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(I) contract management throughout all stages of procurement;

(II) the need for specificity in initial contract scoping and language to reduce project uncertainty, the potential for project scope changes after a contract has been awarded, and the risk of cost overruns;

(III) the importance of competition in contracting and how State transportation departments or transportation agencies should advertise and conduct outreach to potential bidders to increase the bidder pool for projects;

(2) in paragraph (3)(A)(ii)—

(A) in subclause (V) by striking and at the end;

(B) in subclause (VI) by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(VII) managing contracting officers and engineers and measuring the performance of such contracting officers and engineers as such performance relates to the relative costs of projects compared to projects of comparable scopes that are supervised by other contracting officers and engineers.

; and

(3) in paragraph (3)(B) by striking and finance. and inserting finance, and such other courses the Secretary determines appropriate..

(b) Best practices

(1) In general. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop and transmit to each State transportation department best practices on—

(A) improving specificity in initial contract scoping and language to reduce project uncertainty, the potential for project scope changes after a contract has been awarded, and the risk of cost overruns;

(B) increasing competition in projects funded with Federal grants;

(C) improving contract advertisement and conducting outreach to potential bidders to increase the bidder pool for projects; and

(D) improving contracting officer and engineer performance to ensure the greatest value in contracting by a State department of transportation.

(2) Plans. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, each State transportation department shall submit to the Secretary—

(A) a plan to incorporate the best practices developed under paragraph (1) into State transportation department procurement and management processes; and

(B) other best practices of the State transportation department that achieve the items specified in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (1).

(3) Periodic revision. The Secretary shall periodically review and, if appropriate, revise the best practices developed under paragraph (1) and transmit such revisions to each State department of transportation.

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