U.S. House faces deadline to reauthorize highway funding

The U.S. House of Representatives faces a September 30 deadline to extend federal highway infrastructure funding before it expires. With only one week remaining in the current session, lawmakers have yet to draft the text for a short-term extension, which is the expected outcome as the larger BUILD America 250 Act has not been scheduled for a floor vote.

The BUILD America 250 Act is a bipartisan, five-year, $580 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill. It includes the largest federal investment in bridges to date and aims to provide new revenue for the Highway Trust Fund, which supports the maintenance and construction of U.S. highways and mass transit systems. Of the total authorized amount, $474 billion is designated as immediate contract authority.

Additionally, the legislation places a significant focus on railroad safety, allocating $65 billion to the Federal Railroad Administration and doubling maximum fines for safety violations. These measures, alongside the Railway Safety Act, are intended to address concerns following the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The act proposes requirements such as two-person crews on most freight trains and expanded use of defect detection technology.