U.S. House Unveils Six-Year Transportation Authorization Bill

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today unveiled a six-year transportation reauthorization bill that would allocate $230 billion for highway, transit, and highway safety programs. Operating under the guise of a no-tax increase pledge by leadership in the House, and within the confines of funding currently within the Federal Highway Trust Fund, this authorization proposal will mark a significant cut from current levels of transportation funding. Congressman John Mica (R-FL) is hoping that streamlining of government processes, specifically environmental regulations and reviews, can double the value of existing Highway Trust Fund dollars, which amount to roughly $35 billion a year.

"Given U.S. House rules and budget constraints, this proposal maximizes the value of our available infrastructure funding through better leveraging, streamlining the project approval process, attracting private sector investment, and cutting federal bureaucracy," Congressman Mica said. "Most importantly, this six-year proposal provides the stability states need to plan major transportation improvements and create long-term jobs."

Congressman Mica was adamant that a short-term extension of the existing transportation authorization bill, or a two-year bill, would bankrupt the Highway Trust Fund and hurt states' ability to plan long-term.

Some elements of the House Transportation and Infrastructure proposal include:

- Cutting bureaucratic red tape by allowing federal agencies to review transportation projects concurrently

- Delegates project approval authority to states

- Establishes hard deadlines for federal agencies to make decisions on permits and project approvals

- Expands the list of activities that qualify for Categorical Exclusions, an approval process that is faster and simpler than the current process

- Funds the TIFIA program at $1 billion per year and provides incentives for states to create and capitalize State Infrastructure Banks

- Consolidates or eliminates nearly 70 duplicative federal transportation programs

- Removes current barriers that prevent the private sector from offering public transportation services

- Provides more focus on transit programs that benefit rural and suburban areas

- Focuses the Federal Highway Program on the Interstate Highway System and the National Highway System

- Reforms under-performing programs such as the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) Program, to enhance participation

Those looking for a full breakdown of the House T&I proposal can find it linked here