House Committee Moves Transportation Funding Bill

This week, while conferees were attempting to reauthorize federal transportation programs, the House Appropriations Committee approved funding for transportation programs for FY 2013. The legislation funds the Federal-aid highway program at $39.14 billion, the same level as the current fiscal year, but down 4.7 percent from the FY 2011 level.  The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) New Starts program was decreased by over $100 million, to 1.817 billion. However, this is an increase over the FY 2011 level. FTA’s transit formula grants program is maintained at this year’s level of $8.361 billion (down slightly from FY 2011). Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program funding is set at $3.35 billion, a reduction of 4.7 percent from FY 2011. However, this is the level that was approved in the recently enacted FAA authorization legislation and in the Senate FY 2013 Transportation Appropriation bill. The House provided no funding for TIGER grant program.  TIGER received a $500 million appropriation in FY 2012 and the Senate FY 2013 bill provided $500 million for the program. No funds were provided for the Federal Rail Administration High-Speed Rail program; however, residual funding still remains from the $10 billion provided for this program in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA funds are still available through FY 2016. Amtrak’s capital improvement program is funded at $1.452 billion, an increase over FY 2012 of $500 million. The appropriations bill is scheduled to be considered on the House floor next week. For more information, please contact Sean O’Neill at (202) 547-8892 or oneills@agc.org.