House Advances BUILD America 250 Surface Transportation Bill
Key Developments During Infrastructure Week
Professionals expecting an eventful Infrastructure Week got more than they bargained for, as committees in the House of Representatives made progress on the newly introduced BUILD America 250 legislation to reauthorize federal surface transportation programs.
BUILD America 250 Act Advances in Committee
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on May 21st and 22nd marked up and approved the Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th (BUILD America 250) Act (H.R. 8870) by a vote of 62 – 2. The bill represents long-awaited legislation to reauthorize surface transportation programs at $580 billion between Fiscal Years (FY) 2027 and 2031 and is the culmination of months of negotiations between lawmakers. All the while, ASCE engaged on this legislation, sharing reauthorization recommendations with committee members. In addition to sustaining infrastructure funding, the BUILD America 250 Act contains provisions to enhance project delivery, improve safety, and support research – all of which are in line with ASCE’s reauthorization recommendations.
New Revenue Proposals for the Highway Trust Fund
In a step that would represent the first new stream of revenue in decades for the Highway Trust Fund, the BUILD America 250 Act proposes annual registration fees of $130 for electric vehicles and $35 for plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Major Investments in Bridge Infrastructure
Bridges are a particular emphasis in the BUILD America 250 Act. In addition to proposing a $46 billion Bridge Formula Program and a $10 billion Bridge Completion Program, the bill would establish an interagency bridge strike working group and commission a study on best practices for addressing corrosion on weathering steel bridges.
NEPA Reforms and Project Delivery Changes
Streamlining the review process associated with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is another focus area of the BUILD America 250 Act. The bill contains provisions to increase the use of NEPA assignment, clarify the use of categorical exclusions, and designate a single modal administration to serve as the federal lead agency during the review process.
Resilience Funding and PROTECT Program Changes
The BUILD America 250 Act rolls back some programs geared toward infrastructure resilience, scrapping formula funding for the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program. However, the bill provides $2.5 billion over five years for discretionary PROTECT grants. It also adds eligibility for resilience projects to other programs. ASCE strongly advocated for continued funding for the PROTECT Program and submitted requests to Congressional offices asking lawmakers to file an amendment to reinstate formula funding for the program.
Additional House Activity on Transportation Reauthorization
Although the BUILD America 250 Act dominated many of the transportation-related headlines this week, it was not the only piece of reauthorization legislation that advanced.
Science Committee Advances Research and Development Legislation
The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on May 20th passed the research and development title of the package, the Surface Transportation and Research Development Act of 2026 (H.R. 8748), which reauthorizes DOT’s research, technology, and data programs through FY 2031.
Energy and Commerce Committee Addresses Vehicle Safety
Also on May 21st, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce approved its title, an amendment in the nature of a substitute to the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026 (H.R. 7389), which addresses vehicle safety programs under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Additional Resources
For a detailed memorandum on the BUILD America 250 Act, please click here.