House Committee Releases Infrastructure Bill With Highway Trust Fund Changes
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released the BUILD America 250 Act this week. The 1,000-page bill includes an electric vehicle registration fee and directs studies on Amtrak food service and yellow paint procurement.
ReasonThe House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released the BUILD America 250 Act earlier this week. The 1,000-page bill combines provisions to streamline environmental reviews with new requirements for highway funding and unrelated studies. The measure proposes a new registration fee on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids to support the Highway Trust Fund.
Marc Scribner, senior transportation policy analyst at Reason Foundation, stated the fee would not close the revenue-outlay gap because the bill does not address existing spending levels.
In the Bill The bill requires public establishments larger than 800 square feet to allow commercial delivery drivers to use customer bathrooms. Exemptions apply only when access would create an obvious security risk. The legislation directs the comptroller general to review Amtrak's food and beverage service, including compliance with dietary guidelines and the feasibility of offering traditional dining to all passengers.
Ross Marchand, executive director of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, described the review as a complete waste of taxpayer dollars. A separate provision directs the transportation secretary to study the purchase of American-made yellow paint for road markings.
The study targets a single domestic manufacturer in Muskegon, Michigan. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated the electric vehicle fee could generate about $30 billion over the next decade. The Highway Trust Fund is projected to face insolvency by 2028 under current spending patterns.
