Senate Panel Advances Five-Year Highway Bill
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Legislation designed to update the country’s highway infrastructure networks was approved by a committee in the U.S. Senate May 26.
The Environment and Public Works Committee’s unanimous approval of a five-year, $304 billion reauthorization of surface transportation programs puts pressure on committees with jurisdiction over transit, freight and tax policies to consider missing components of the highway legislation.
Highway Bill Note by Transport Topics on Scribd
Those committees have yet to schedule legislative markup hearings for the highway bill. Adoption of the panels’ input, primarily funding linked to the Highway Trust Fund, would set the stage for the bill’s consideration on the Senate floor. Senators on the transportation committees and their House counterparts are aiming to clear the comprehensive highway policy bill to President Joe Biden’s desk prior to the end of September. The provisions of the country’s premier highway policy law, called the FAST Act, expire Sept. 30.
Carper
“The work doesn’t stop here. It is imperative that our sister Senate committees — Banking, Commerce and Finance — act quickly on their portions of surface transportation reauthorization, so we can get this bill across the finish line before the current law expires on Sept. 30,” said EPW Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.). Carper and other sponsors of the Senate highway policy legislation described the measure as a key element of Biden’s $1.7 trillion infrastructure policy agenda.
“I will continue to work with our colleagues on those committees to encourage them to act without delay, especially since we’ve taken action here in record time with our highway bill,” the chairman went on. “The fast timeline that led to this markup today is not by chance; it’s a reflection of our commitment to getting the work done, a commitment shared by President Biden.”
“There is a lot in this bill for both sides, and for all communities no matter their size or region in the country,” added committee ranking member Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). “It will drive economic growth now and in the future, create jobs, while also improving the quality of life for those in our country.”
Specifically, the Senate bill would propose a 34% increase in funding levels. It would authorize $18 billion for climate change programs associated with severe weather resilience, and dedicate about $500 million annually for the installation of new electric vehicle charging units around the country. It also would pave the way for a national pilot study to examine potential benefits of a national vehicle-miles-traveled fee system. A VMT system issues motorists a fee for the miles they travel. Additionally, the measure would promote efforts to streamline environmental permitting guidance, and the adoption of transportation equity programs.
Provisions specific to trucking proposed in the legislation include establishing a program that would reduce idling and emissions at port facilities. Also, it would adopt a requirement that the transportation secretary examine potential benefits of electrification, as well as technologies that would reduce emissions from idling trucks at ports.
Neither Senate nor House transportation leaders have approved long-term funding mechanisms associated with comprehensive highway policy legislation. The Highway Trust Fund, an account backed by fuel tax revenue to pay for maintenance programs, is headed toward insolvency.
Myriad stakeholders, ranging from freight firms to labor unions, expressed support for the Senate’s bill. The Transportation Construction Coalition of road builders and labor unions, for instance, noted on the eve of the Senate hearing: “This bill would help states and localities address backlogs in maintenance, make investments in freight corridors and improve safety and congestion. At the same time, improvements to project streamlining and innovative financing programs will help state departments of transportation work more efficiently over the subsequent years of authorization.”
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