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Senate Panel Sets Sights on Highway Bill
Reauthorization Work Likely Prior to September Deadline
Key Takeaways:
- Senate EPW Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito said the committee is crafting a highway reauthorization bill focused on safety, reliability and state infrastructure needs.
- The House-approved BUILD America 250 Act would authorize $580 billion over five years and includes trucking provisions for parking, restrooms and workforce programs.
- Current highway authorization expires Sept. 30, while the House bill awaits tax-writing panel input and Capito seeks bipartisan Senate support.
WASHINGTON — Advancing the next surface transportation reauthorization measure is a priority for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee as lawmakers continue shaping a long-term highway bill.
Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said the panel is crafting legislation aimed at improving safety and reliability across the nation’s transportation network while modernizing federal programs to better address state-level infrastructure needs.
During a June 3 hearing to examine the White House’s fiscal 2027 budget request for highway programs, Capito explained the committee is drawing on oversight hearings, expert testimony and feedback from federal, state and local officials to inform the legislation.
The chairwoman outlined three main priorities: strengthening safety through targeted investment, streamlining federal programs and aligning funding mechanisms with infrastructure needs nationwide.
Capito said the legislation will prioritize flexible, predictable formula funding for road and bridge projects, giving states more certainty and helping keep projects on time and on budget.
“I am working to cut administrative overhead, reduce duplicative programs and avoid federal overreach so that we can avoid future grants backlogs, funding lapses and project delays,” she said.
Bipartisan cooperation will be necessary to advance the bill, and Capito plans to work with Democrats led by ranking member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), as well as House lawmakers, to move the measure forward.
At a recent Senate hearing, Federal Highway Administration chief Sean McMaster told the panel that improving safety along passenger and freight corridors will remain a guiding principle in the coming years. He also pointed to the adoption of emerging technologies and faster project delivery as key areas of focus.
McMaster also said FHWA will continue collaborating with stakeholders to identify and advance priority projects.
“FHWA will continue this aggressive pace, working closely with every state to not only define and track their top priorities, but to see what FHWA can do to help make them a reality,” the administrator told the highway policy committee earlier this month.
Brian Antonellis of Fleet Advantage discusses how fleet leaders should be thinking about capital planning with the 2027 NOx emissions rules on the horizon. Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com.
The Senate effort would follow House committee approval of the BUILD America 250 Act on May 22. The measure would authorize $580 billion over five years for surface transportation programs and includes provisions aimed at stabilizing the Highway Trust Fund and improving safety and freight connectivity. The legislation awaits input from the tax-writing panel.
Current highway authorization expires Sept. 30.
The House bill includes several provisions specific to the trucking industry, including grants to expand truck parking along major freight corridors — a long-standing concern among carriers and drivers.
Industry groups have said limited parking capacity can force drivers to choose between violating hours-of-service regulations or stopping in unsafe locations.
The House measure calls for improved restroom access for commercial drivers, expansion of apprenticeship opportunities for younger drivers, enhanced consumer protections in the household goods sector and initiatives to recruit military veterans.
The measure includes provisions to develop a national framework for autonomous commercial motor vehicles and explore how electric vehicles could contribute to the Highway Trust Fund. That account is backed by fuel tax revenue from rates that have remained unchanged since 1993.
