BUILD America 250 Act Advances Through Committee

What happened: The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee May 21 approved a new, five-year authorization of highway, transit and safety programs—a critical first step to enacting a new surface transportation bill. The bipartisan bill passed nearly unanimously and would largely maintain current core highway and transit programs and increase support for bridge programs.

Rail safety, electric vehicles, and transit programs were features of the committee’s consideration, but most proposed amendments were not added to the bill. The mark-up showcased the working relationship of Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) who had an agreement to vote in lockstep on amendments.

A short summary of the bill’s funding levels and policy recommendations released early this week is available here.

Read ARTBA’s letter of support.

Dig deeper: Wondering what it means for transportation construction? Register for ARTBA’s May 28, members-only webinar and have your questions answered by ARTBA staff.

What’s next: Three other committees in the House of Representatives will consider parts of the legislation before the full chamber acts. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has indicated he would like to consider the bill in June.

In the Senate, the Environment and Public Works Committee is planning to release the highway portion of their bill by July 4. The Banking, Commerce and Finance Committees must also develop sections of the bill before Senate floor consideration.