Legislation that would increase funding for infrastructure grants and the agency overseeing trucking regulations was easily approved by a subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives on May 23.
The fiscal 2020 transportation funding bill would provide $1 billion for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, or BUILD, grants, a $100 million increase above the 2019 enacted level.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, with jurisdiction over trucking and bus operations, would receive $677 million, which would be $10 million above the 2019 enacted level.
The bill advanced by a voice vote to the Appropriations Committee, which is expected to consider the measure in the coming weeks.
Overall, the legislation would provide the U.S. Department of Transportation $86.6 billion, slightly more than President Donald Trump's request and $167 million above the 2019 enacted level.
For the Federal Highway Administration, the measure would provide $48.9 billion, $1.7 billion above the president's request, and $404 million below the 2019 enacted level.
For other agencies, the measure would provide the Federal Transit Administration $13.5 billion, $1.1 billion more than the president's request, and $60 million above the 2019 enacted level. The Federal Railroad Administration would receive $3 billion, which would be $877 million above the president's request, and $96 million more than the 2019 enacted level.
And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would receive $1 billion, which would be $81 million above the president's request, and $44 million more than the 2019 enacted level.
The bill also would provide Amtrak $2 billion, highway infrastructure programs would receive $1.75 billion, and the Port Infrastructure Development Program would be provided $225 million.