HomeMy WebLinkAbout050826 email - Fwd_ Graves & Larsen Announce Deal on Bipartisan_ Five-Year Surface Transportation Reauthorization – the BUILD America 250 ActALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Good morning,
Late yesterday, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen reached an agreement on the surface transportation reauthorization
bill, the BUILD America 250 Act. I am in the process of reviewing the 1005 page draft bill. The bill will be introduced this week and a markup is tentatively scheduled for Thursday,
May 21 however, a markup as noticed by the committee. I am sharing a Politico.com <http://politico.com/> article on the release of the highway bill. There are links to the draft text
of the bill along with a section-by-section summary at the bottom of the press release. I will monitor all legislative activity of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
There’s changes to the Emergency Relief program in the draft text, Section 1109. I am going to reach out to Shanta in Rep. Randall’s Office to see if we can work on an amendment that
could provide a solution to the Quinault South Shore Road issue the County is having with the Federal Highway Administration. Here’s the text Section 1109 in the section-by-section
summary of the draft bill. Thank you.
Section 1109. Emergency relief.
This section makes changes to the Emergency Relief (ER) program intended to ensure resilience
improvements are eligible under the program. It also stipulates that projects advance to the
construction obligation stage within three fiscal years after either the date on which a Governor
declares an emergency or the President declares a major disaster (whichever is later). It provides
that the Secretary may extend this deadline if a Governor provides suitable justification. This
section directs the Secretary to extend the deadline if the Secretary finds a project is delayed due
to a lack of necessary permits or approvals. Additionally, this section requires the ER manual to
be updated to reflect changes made in this section and going forward, requires that the manual be
updated not less frequently than once every three years.
Crystal Ellerbe
direct dial: (202) 862-7103
company main: (202) 862-7100
cellular: (202) 367-6012
email: cellerbe@acornwdc.com
website: acornconsulting.com
Begin forwarded message:
From: Crystal Ellerbe <cellerbe@acornwdc.com>
Subject: Fwd: Graves & Larsen Announce Deal on Bipartisan, Five-Year Surface Transportation Reauthorization – the BUILD America 250 Act
Date: May 17, 2026 at 7:18:05 PM EDT
To: Kerri Leininger <kleininger@calportland.com>
Cc: Michael Henry <mhenry@acornwdc.com>, Sara Frances Koopman <sfkoopman@acornwdc.com>, Wes Kungel <wkungel@acornwdc.com>
Kerri,
We wanted to share with you the press release announcing agreement on the highway bill - the BUILD America 250 Act. Links to the text and section-by-section are immersion the press
release. Thank you.
Sent from Crystal’s iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Transportation Committee Republicans <Transport@mail.house.gov>
Date: May 17, 2026 at 6:47:48 PM EDT
To: Crystal Ellerbe <cellerbe@acornwdc.com>
Subject: Graves & Larsen Announce Deal on Bipartisan, Five-Year Surface Transportation Reauthorization – the BUILD America 250 Act
<https://republicans-transportation.house.gov/uploadedphotos/highresolution/d4bd4ed3-d22b-4e89-8789-5e8fbe83e1e3.png>
PRESS RELEASE
Graves & Larsen Announce Deal on Bipartisan, Five-Year Surface Transportation Reauthorization – the BUILD America 250 Act
For Immediate Release: May 17, 2026
Contact: Justin Harclerode <https://link.edgepilot.com/x/PE3EHntrnecIyYH_iEqXyxw?u=https://transportation.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=487369-71716489> (T&I Republicans)
| Peter True <https://link.edgepilot.com/x/DShkM-VximmE1lnHnVQP3Gs?u=https://transportation.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=487370-71716489> (T&I Democrats)
Washington, D.C. - Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) and the Committee’s Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA) today released the text of a bipartisan,
five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill that invests in America’s roads, bridges, transit, rail transportation, and highway and motor carrier safety programs.
The BUILD America 250 Act – Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th Act – emphasizes moving people, goods, and freight safely and efficiently
across the country. The bill provides the largest ever investment in America’s bridges, focuses on proven surface transportation infrastructure programs, provides passenger rai investments
and reforms, improves rail safety, ensures that transportation projects and programs are more efficient, encourages innovation, and provides the first ever autonomous commercial motor
vehicle framework.
The bill also strengthens the Highway Trust Fund by ensuring all highway users pay their share for the use and improvement of the nation’s roads. As a result, the BUILD America 250 Act
injects the Highway Trust Fund with its first new stream of revenue for infrastructure in over three decades.
“I believe the BUILD America 250 Act is the most important surface transportation bill since President Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System. Like the America 250 celebration
this year, this bill is not simply about honoring our past – it’s about moving forward and building upon the legacy of our nation’s infrastructure,” said Chairman Graves. “I’m extremely
proud of the historic level of investment in America’s bridges – at more than $50 billion, it’s the largest such investment in our history. And the BUILD America 250 Act ensures that
electric vehicle owners begin paying their fair share for the use of our roads. The bill also makes smart and targeted reforms to our surface transportation programs, focuses on strengthening
our core infrastructure system, drives innovation, bolsters safety, ensures states have the flexibility they need, and cuts red tape to get projects built faster. I want to thank Ranking
Member Larsen and our subcommittee leaders for their strong partnership in developing this important legislation.”
“You can’t have a big-league economy with little-league infrastructure,” said Ranking Member Larsen. “The BUILD America 250 Act makes key investments in the nation’s transportation –
from restoring aging bridges and repairing crumbling roads to building out safe, accessible transit and bike infrastructure. A commitment to bipartisan lawmaking means finding compromise;
while this bill does not include every priority, I am committed to building on the last bipartisan infrastructure law by creating good-paying transportation jobs, growing the economy
and safely transporting people and goods across the country by road and rail. Thank you to Chairman Graves for his partnership. I look forward to marking up this bill soon.”
To prepare for the BUILD America 250 Act, the Committee held numerous hearings throughout the last year and a half and solicited input, ideas, and priorities for consideration from all
Members of the House and the broad infrastructure stakeholder community – over 11,000 individual policy requests were submitted in total.
Committee leaders plan to formally introduce the legislation soon, and at a later date, the Committee will announce further plans for a legislative markup of the bill, with the ultimate
goal of sending legislation from Congress to the President’s desk before the current surface transportation authorization expires on September 30, 2026.
Link to the text of the BUILD America 250 Act <https://link.edgepilot.com/x/PoR1HyvzBc6fWUgYl4HmxcU?u=https://transportation.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=487371-71716489>
Link to a section-by-section summary of the BUILD America 250 Act <https://link.edgepilot.com/x/I0sSyJpdz_5kNNfyQAPrDx8?u=https://transportation.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=487372-7171648
9>
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