House Panel to Consider Fiscal ’16 Highway Funding Bill
The House Rules Committee will look to pave the way for floor consideration on a fiscal 2016 transportation funding bill June 1 at 5 p.m. EDT.
The bill, sponsored by Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), is likely to reach the floor sometime next week. The measure would provide $572 million for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the agency that oversees trucking rules, and it would permit use of twin 33-foot trailers.
Also, the bill would require that before FMCSA’s 34-hour restart rule is reinstated, there must be a study addressing whether the rule has safety benefits and is better for drivers in terms of fatigue, health and work schedules. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, contracted by the agency, has commenced the study.
On May 13, House appropriators advanced the bill to the floor by a 30-21 vote. Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said the legislation “strikes a smart, intentional balance between funding essential programs and making responsible reductions to lower-priority activities to make sure we meet our tight-budget guidelines.” Overall, the bill would provide $55.3 billion in discretionary spending for highway infrastructure and housing programs.
Senate appropriators have yet to schedule a hearing on their transportation funding bill.
