Dec. 1 New Target Date for Unveiling of Long-Term Highway Bill
The final version of a highway bill that would set in motion reforms to a controversial safety performance scoring program for motor carriers, as well as back infrastructure projects nationwide for several years, likely will be unveiled Dec. 1, a senior House transportation panel aide told Transport Topics. UPDATE, 2:40 p.m. ET: The report is out, watch for details coming soon on TTNews.com.
The aide would not expand on the bill’s specifics.
CQ Roll Call reported that House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) indicated the final highway bill would have a five-year authorization.
Shuster had said he hoped to unveil the final highway bill, known as a conference report, Nov. 30.
I just signed the conference report for the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act: 5yr / $305 Billion pic.twitter.com/DCGwAesrmN
— US Rep E.B.Johnson (@RepEBJ) December 1, 2015
.@RepBillShuster: highway & transit bill conference report tomorrow:"We hope so. There's nothing for sure around here, it's Congress."@CQnow
— Kellie Mejdrich (@kelmej) December 1, 2015
Pushing the report’s release by one day increases the likelihood that Congress would need to approve another short-term extension of highway funding authority. Current authority for highway programs expires Dec. 4.
On Nov. 18, Shuster told Transport Topics reforms to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program would be part of a final highway bill. The House-passed highway bill would call on FMCSA to make “corrective actions” to the program and, during a congressionally-mandated review by the National Research Council, certain CSA scores would be removed from public view.
CAPITOL AGENDA VIDEO: Mulero and Mejdrich on highway bill status
