PRIA Logo™
119-s-3786119th CongressWALLET

Balance the Highway Trust Fund Act

Sponsored By: Senator Lee, Mike [R-UT]

Introduced

Summary

Limits highway obligation authority to the Highway Trust Fund's latest net receipts. This bill would cap annual obligation authority for federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs at the net highway receipts most recently estimated by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Show full summary
  • States: Obligation authority would be allocated after excluding administrative expenses and prior unobligated balances. After August 1 the Secretary would redistribute unused authority to states that can obligate more, prioritizing states with large unobligated balances.
  • Transportation research programs: Contract authority for research would be subject to the same obligation limits, but research funds would remain available for 4 fiscal years and would not count against obligation limits for future years.
  • Federal allocation process: The Secretary of Transportation would follow a multi-step formula to prorate remaining obligation authority across programs that are allocated or apportioned and would distribute certain authorized but unallocated funds to states for purposes allowed under section 133(b) of title 23, United States Code.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Cap and split highway obligations

If enacted, this bill would cap total Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction obligations each year at the Treasury's latest net highway receipts. The cap would start October 1, 2027. The Secretary of Transportation would withhold authority for certain administrative programs and prior unobligated balances, then prorate remaining authority across programs and States. The Secretary would also redistribute funds that cannot be used within 30 days and again after August 1, favoring States that can obligate funds and those with large unobligated balances. If enacted, this could slow or shrink some projects and push costs to States.

Limits on federal transit funding

If enacted, the bill would cap total obligations from the Mass Transit Account each year at the Treasury's latest net mass transit receipts. The cap would take effect October 1, 2027 and would apply notwithstanding other law. If enacted, this could reduce federal transit funding in some years and affect transit projects and riders in urban areas.

Four-year availability for research funds

If enacted, obligation authority for transportation research programs would remain available for four fiscal years. That research availability would be in addition to any obligation limits in future years. The change would take effect October 1, 2027 and would help States, research institutions, and contractors time their research projects.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Lee, Mike [R-UT]

UT • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation