Senate committee releases funding bill for U.S. Department of Transportation

The U.S. DOT would receive $90.5 billion in total budgetary resources, of which $29.1 billion is net discretionary budget authority, which is $3.8 billion more than the fiscal year 2021 enacted level, the committee said in a press release.

“Our bill delivers strong funding for transportation and housing programs that will help improve our transportation systems, address homelessness, and provide safe and affordable housing for millions of Americans who need help,” THUD Chair Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said in a statement. “It also represents our commitment to building a stronger, more resilient infrastructure system in the face of the climate crisis and worsening natural disasters.”

The bill provides over $66 billion for transportation infrastructure investments. Funding increases are addressed for all modes of transportation.

The bill includes $1.09 billion for the multi-modal RAISE grant program, $90 million more than fiscal year 2021; $49.9 billion for the Federal Highway Administration, including $47.1 billion from the highway trust fund and $2.8 billion from the general fund; and $220 million for the Federal-State Partnership for State-of-Good-Repair (SOGR), $20 million more than FY 2021, to fund the replacement, rehabilitation, or repair of major infrastructure assets providing intercity passenger rail service.

The bill also invests in the safety of all modes of transportation, and includes a new $50 million program for local safety planning and improvements, such as “Vision Zero” plans. It also provides $300 million for a new grant program to improve the resiliency of transportation infrastructure vulnerable to current and future weather events and natural disasters, including sea level rise, coastal erosion, extreme weather, earthquakes, and flooding.