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May 22, 2019

House Appropriations Committee Releases Draft Transportation Spending Bill for Fiscal Year 2020

The proposed funding bill from the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing & Urban Development would increase investment levels for most federal transportation infrastructure programs for the coming fiscal year.

The draft bill meets FAST Act funding levels for highway programs at $46.4 billion from the Highway Trust Fund and adds an additional $1.5 billion from the General Fund for surface transportation block grants, railway-highway crossing safety improvement, and charging infrastructure along corridor ready or corridor pending alternative fuel corridors.

A total of $13.5 billion is provided for Federal Transit Administration programs, fully funding FAST Act commitments and adding $2.3 billion for Capital Investment Grants, equal to the authorized level, and $750 million for transit infrastructure grants.

Rail programs are funded at $3 billion, including $350 million for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements—$95 million above the 2019 enacted level—$350 million for Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair, and $2 billion for Amtrak, including $700 million for the Northeast Corridor.

In response to recent Administration actions to withdraw nearly $1 billion in federal grants to the California High Speed Rail project, the bill includes a provision preventing the DOT from canceling the other $2.5 billion grant agreement or demanding repayment of funds expended by California. It would also ensure that any de-obligated funds originally intended for the project could not be spent elsewhere pending the outcome of litigation, and that those funds could only be used for other high-speed rail projects.

The bill appropriates $1 billion for multimodal project grants (TIGER/BUILD), an increase of $100 million above 2019.

For aviation programs, the bill maintains Airport Improvement Program spending from the Airport & Airways Trust Fund at $3.35 billion and adds $500 million in competitive airport grant funding from the General Fund. It also provides $3 billion for FAA Facilities & Equipment, consistent with current levels.

The draft bill provides $3.6 billion for Community Development Block Grants, $300 million above the 2019 level.

The subcommittee is scheduled to vote on the measure on Thursday. Click here for more information.


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Date

May 22, 2019

Category

INDUSTRY NEWS / INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

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