Senate Reauthorization Bill Close to Introduction

AGC participated in a meeting June 23 with Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) who called together transportation and construction industry groups to lay out a very ambitous plan for release of a Committee draft bill, at least one hearing and Senate consideration of surface transportation reauthorization legislation before the end of July. Chairman Boxer reported that she will introduce a bill the week of July 11, schedule hearings on the bill the following week and then mark up the legislation the week of July 25. She said she is working closely with Republican members of the committee to draft a bill that will have bipartisan support. Boxer indicated the Committee’s bill is being written to provide funding levels at current authorized amounts plus inflation.  She is still working to identify enough  federal funds to keep the bill at current level, and she is working with Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) to find the additional revenue necessary to support those funding levels. She also reported that there are ongoing talks with the chairs of the two other Senate committees (Commerce and Banking Committees) that have jurisdiction over other segments of the legislation and they are moving forward in drafting those portions. The bill will consolidate some 87 different programs down to 30. Reforms will be made in the environmental review process to speed project delivery. The criteria for project eligibility in the enhancement program will be tightened so that only true transportation projects will be funded. The bill will include a freight title to emphasize interstate commerce. Also the innovative financing program known as TIFIA, which provides loans, loan guarantees and lines of credit for project owners, and has been very successful in moving projects to construction, will be expanded. Boxer said she wants to have a bill completed before the current authorization expires on September 30, 2011, so that additional short term extensions will not be necessary.    The House Transportation Committee may also release a bill in early July. For more information, contact Brian Deery at (703) 837-5319 or deeryb@agc.org.