The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released details of reauthorization legislation, the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009. The legislation is a 6-year $500 billion committee draft that would replace the current authorization, SAFETEA-LU, which is due to expire on September 30, but does not identify a method for funding.
The Chairman of the Committee, James Oberstar (D-Minn.), introduced the full authorization legislation Monday and billed it as a transformation in the way the federal government funds the nation's transportation infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Obama Administration has called for an 18-month extension of SAFETEA-LU.
Preliminary documents were released last week and the committee released a draft version of the bill on Monday. A blueprint for investment and reform, a framework of principles for federal surface transportation and an executive summary, as well as the current bill draft, are all available on the AGC Web site.
The committee draft of the legislation indicates a reduced number of federal programs but keeps most of the eligibility for them. It does not address any specifics on formula funding. The blueprint states that there would be project streamlining, but new environmental concerns exist, such as carbon reduction and livability. Finally, the plan would centralize national planning to include all transportation modes. AGC staff is currently reviewing the bill language to determine its impact on construction.
The subcommittee is planning a markup of the legislation Wednesday, June, 24, and full committee may markup the bill in July. The Ways and Means Committee will hold a series of hearings in the next five weeks to consider funding options.
For more information, contact Jeff Shoaf at (202) 547-3350 or shoafj@agc.org.
- Industry Priorities
- Education
- News
- Connect
- Benefits
- Events
- Shop