No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section defines terms used in the Act, including (1) Secretary, as the Secretary of Transportation; (2) metropolitan planning organization, as defined in 23 U.S.C. §134; (3) urbanized area, as defined in 23 U.S.C. §134; (4) off-system bridge, as a highway bridge or low water crossing (as defined by the Secretary) located on a public road other than a Federal-aid highway; and (5) regional transportation planning organization, as the policy board of an organization designated under 23 U.S.C. §135(m).
This section revises the distribution of states' base apportionments under 23 U.S.C. 104(b) among core federal-aid highway programs—including the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP), Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG), and Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)—by adjusting shares of the amount remaining after specified set-asides and updating cross-references to include new paragraphs (9) and (10) as follows: (1) NHPP to 53.71% (from 59.0771195921461%); (2) STBG to 31.07% (from 28.7402203421251%); (3) HSIP to 7.61% (from 6.70605141316253%); (4) National Highway Freight Program to 2.39% (from 2.56266964565637%); and (5) Carbon Reduction Program to 2.72% (from 2.91393900690991%). It further revises metropolitan planning under subsection (b)(6)(B) to 2.5% of the amount remaining after set-asides under paragraphs (4), (5), (9), and (10) (previously after paragraphs (4), (5), and (6)). This section also establishes two new annual set-asides from FY2027 through FY2031: (1) $5.5 billion for the Strengthening Bridges Formula Program under 23 U.S.C. 180, distributed to states proportional to their share of total costs to replace or rehabilitate bridges in poor condition (based on average 2021-2024 unit costs reported under 23 U.S.C. 144(b)(5)), with a $45 million minimum per state; and (2) $150 million for regional transportation planning under 23 U.S.C. 135(n), distributed proportional to states' shares under subsection (b), with up to 5% available for state administration.
This section requires states, before obligating Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funds attributed to areas with populations of less than 50,000 not represented by a regional transportation planning organization, to consult with local governments in that area for purposes of certain program suballocations. States may partner with nonpartisan, statewide organizations representing local governments and their elected leaders to facilitate such consultation.
This section establishes the Strengthening Bridges Formula Program to provide formula funding, apportioned under 23 U.S.C. §104(b)(9), for the construction, replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, and protection of highway bridges on public roads. Of a state's apportioned funds (after set-asides), the state must obligate 25% proportional to each area's population share in (1) urbanized areas over 200,000; (2) urbanized areas of 50,000-200,000; (3) urban areas of 5,000-49,999; and (4) other areas under 5,000, with the remainder available statewide; funds are treated as apportioned under §§104(e) and 104(i), and projects must follow specified metropolitan, regional, or local planning processes (with states permitted to consult nonpartisan local government organizations). Programming must comply with §§134 and 135; the Secretary sets aside 3% of funds for §202(d) (bridges in rural areas and tribal lands) and up to 0.5% for Federal Highway Administration administration; and the federal share is determined under §120, up to 100% for off-system bridges owned by local governments or tribes. This section also makes a conforming amendment to the chapter analysis for title 23, U.S. Code.
This section establishes a local safety set-aside under the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), requiring states to obligate 25% of funds apportioned under 23 U.S.C. 104(b)(3) for FY2027 through FY2031 in proportion to the state's relative population shares in (1) urbanized areas over 200,000, (2) urbanized areas of 50,000-200,000, (3) urban areas of 5,000-49,999, and (4) other areas under 5,000, with the remainder available in any area of the state. It further requires project selection in areas over 50,000 to use projects on the relevant metropolitan planning organization transportation improvement program; in areas under 50,000 covered by a regional transportation planning organization, projects identified in cooperation with that organization; and in other areas under 50,000, projects selected in consultation with local governments, with states authorized to work with nonpartisan statewide organizations representing local governments and all programming subject to 23 U.S.C. §§134 and 135 planning requirements. (HSIP apportions federal-aid highway funds to states for projects on public roads that correct hazardous locations or features and address safety problems per a state strategic highway safety plan.) This section also expands eligible HSIP projects to include any project eligible under sec. 24112 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (i.e., Safe Streets and Roads for All competitive grants for road safety action plans and projects).
This section limits state flexibility to transfer up to 50% of federal-aid highway apportionments under 23 U.S.C. 126 by (1) expanding the list of nontransferable set-aside funds in subsection (b)(1) to include those subject to sections 135(n), 148(d)(1)(A), 175(e)(1)(A), and 180(c)(1)(A) (in addition to existing sections 104(d) and 133(d)(1)(A)); and (2) adding subsection (c), which requires a state, before transferring funds apportioned under section 104(b)(3) for the highway safety improvement program, to make those funds available to local governments and regional planning organizations through a competitive process for projects meeting eligibility criteria under section 148, with transfers permitted only after Secretary certification of an open and fair competition.
This section expresses the sense of Congress that (1) states should obligate all funds appropriated under 23 U.S.C. §§ 133(d)(1)(A), 148(d)(1)(A), 175(e), and 180(c)(1)(A) to locally selected projects; and (2) the Secretary of Transportation, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration Administrator, should work with states to ensure compliance with local consultation and coordination processes under title 23, U.S. Code.
This section (1) establishes a 100 percent federal share (eliminating prior local match requirements) for metropolitan planning activities authorized under 23 U.S.C. 134 and apportioned under section 104(b)(6); (2) expands allowable uses of metropolitan planning funds apportioned under section 104 to include fiscal administration of local projects, preliminary design, administrative and overhead costs, local technical assistance, housing studies linked to transportation, economic development studies linked to transportation, and critical data procurement; (3) revises funding provisions under section 134(p) to make funds apportioned under section 104(b)(6) or 49 U.S.C. 5305(g) available for these purposes, requires the Secretary—within 180 days after enactment—to establish a process for metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to qualify as direct recipients based on technical and financial capabilities (occurring concurrently with MPO recertification), and directs the Secretary to suballocate obligation authority and responsibilities directly to qualified MPOs; and (4) requires the Secretary to provide MPOs the same access to federal-aid financial management systems as provided to state departments of transportation. (As background, 23 U.S.C. 134 governs cooperative transportation planning in urbanized areas—population of 50,000 or more—by MPOs, states, and public transit operators to develop long-range plans and transportation improvement programs.)
This section establishes a Department of Transportation program—required to be implemented not later than 180 days after enactment—to assist states in supporting federally designated regional transportation planning organizations (RTPOs, as defined in 23 U.S.C. §134(b)(5)) and regional entities responsible for transportation or economic development planning in nonmetropolitan areas. Funds available to states under 23 U.S.C. §104(b)(9) must be used (1) to provide direct funding to RTPOs for duties specified in new subsection (m)(4); and (2) to support activities such as increasing understanding of statewide transportation planning requirements, providing technical assistance for multimodal long-range plans, strengthening rural partnerships, enhancing project prioritization, and securing federal RTPO designation (including through state-based pilot programs). Within states, funds are distributed via a Secretary-approved formula to RTPOs and a Secretary-approved grant process to other eligible entities, with a minimum allocation of $300,000 per RTPO in FY2027 through FY2031; the federal share is 100 percent. (As background, 23 U.S.C. §135 requires states to develop coordinated statewide transportation plans that complement metropolitan planning under §134; this program bolsters regional planning capacity in rural areas to address nonmetropolitan transportation needs.)