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Amendments to the House transportation bill we’re tracking

The Rules Committee is considering which amendments to the House transportation bill to send to the full House, which will begin debating and voting on them over the course of this week. We’ll be tracking a handful of these amendments closely and you can find out more about each of them right here.

Bookmark this page and table — we’ll be fleshing out this post over the coming 24-48 hours with more information on some of the amendments and keeping it updated as the Rules Committee finishes approving or rejecting amendments, and as the full House begins debating and voting on them and their multi-year transportation bill. Debate on the House floor begins today, and the Rules Committee is expected to finish up deciding on the 250-plus amendments by this evening. (The Rules Committee’s full list of amendments and their status can be found here.)

Amendments that we’re tracking

Improvements or helpful changes

Amendment numberDescriptionOffered byRules Committee Approve? (Y/N)Final floor outcome
#18 - TOD in RRIF (sense of Congress)(Nonbinding) bipartisan amendment to express the Sense of Congress that TOD is an eligible activity under the Railroad Rehabilitation Improvement Financing program (RRIF). (See #37 below, which would actually make this policy change binding.)Reps. Lipinski, Quigley, DoldApprovedNot offered
#21 - Improved project selection processThis would improve planning and project selection performance measures and transparency.Rep. DesaulnierApprovedRejected by recorded vote.
#37 - TOD in RRIFBipartisan amendment to make transit-oriented development projects (TOD) eligible for funding from the Railroad Rehabilitation Improvement Financing program (RRIF).Reps. Lipinski, Quigley, DoldRejected by Rulesn/a
#47 - Ped safety performance measuresThis would require a study and rule on safety standards or performance measures to improve pedestrian safety.Rep. SchakowskyRejected by Rulesn/a
#66 - Ped safetyBipartisan amendment to create a new national priority program for non-motorized safety, increase the number of states eligible for funding through the non-motorized National Priority Safety Program, and double the funding for that program.Reps. Blumenauer and BuchananApprovedRejected by voice vote
#75 - Accessibility performance measuresThis would establish performance measures for accessibility for low-income and minority populations and people with disabilities; cumulative increase in residents’ connection to jobs; and the variety of transportation choices available to users, such as public transportation, bike and pedestrian pathways, and roads and highways. (This improves upon the changes made in the committee markup by Rep. Carson's amendment. See #7 in our "Ten Things" post.)Reps. Ellison, Grijalva, Waters and HuffmanRejected by Rulesn/a
#87 - CMAQ funds for bikesharing & shared mobilityBipartisan amendment to make innovative new shared mobility options like bikesharing, carsharing, and transportation network companies, among others, eligible to receive funds from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement and Federal Transit Administration programs. Expands associated transit improvements to include these shared-use projects that can directly enhance transit.Reps. Swalwell and SchweikertApprovedRejected, 181-237
#101 - TIFIA loans for TOD projectsBipartisan amendment to make transit-oriented development projects eligible to receive low-cost TIFIA loans, and lower the threshold for loans from $50 million down to $10 million to help smaller projects access the program — both of which are zero cost to the program. (This amendment was offered in markup but not voted on. See #3 in our amendment tracker from the committee markup.)Reps. Edwards and ComstockRejected by Rulesn/a
#110 - Restore transit flexibilityBipartisan amendment to restore the current ability that states and metros have to flex federal CMAQ funds toward New Starts projects — increasing the possible federal share of these projects back up to 80 percent from the reduced federal match of 50 percent in the STRR Act. But this amendment would not change the STRR Act's restriction on states or metros using their Surface Transportation Program funding as local matching dollars.
(Read more about the STRR Act's changes for transit in #5 in our "Ten Things" explainer, though this amendment does not fix the reduction in federal match from 80 to 50 percent.
Reps. Nadler, Lipinski, DoldApproved but modifiedApproved as modified
#131 - Local controlBipartisan amendment to increase the total amount of flexible funds, send more money directly to local communities, and improve the process by which the state chooses projects to fund in smaller communities with fewer than 200,000 people. Read more about the Davis-Titus amendment in #3 of our "Ten Things" explainer.)Introduced by Reps. Davis and Titus (and co-sponsored by Reps. Rouzer, Lipinski, Frankel, Edwards, Rokita, Bustos, Moore and GwenRejected by Rulesn/a

Potentially damaging changes

Amendment numberDescriptionOffered byRules Committee approve? (Y/N)Final floor outcome
#8 - No additional road landscapingRepeals the ability for the Secretary of Transportation to approve the cost of landscaping and roadside development as eligible project costs for highway projects
Rep. HartzlerApprovedRejected, 172-255
#26 - No federal funding for streetcarsProhibits Federal financial assistance for any project or activity to establish, maintain, operate, or otherwise support a streetcar service.Rep. RussellApprovedRejected by voice vote
#41 - Opting out of federal transportation programProvides the authority for states that raise transportation revenue to opt out of the federal program entirely, provided OMB scores the provision as deficit neutral.Rep. GarrettRejected by Rulesn/a
#63 - Debt to equity for transit agenciesRequires transit agencies to have a debt-to-equity ratio of 1:1 to be eligible to receive any federal capital or operating funds. Rep. CulbersonApprovedRejected, 116-313
#68 - Metros can flex funds away from TAP projectsAllows large metropolitan planning organizations that control Transportation Alternatives Program funds to shift 100 percent of those TAP funds away from the required competition process and toward non-biking and walking projects.Rep. Carter (GA)Rejected by Rulesn/a
#69 - Removes STP flexibility for TAP projectsRemoves the eligibility for flexible Surface Transportation Program funds to be spent on Transportation Alternatives Program projects and repeals the small Recreational Trails programRep. Carter (GA)Withdrawnn/a
#158 - Ending recreational trails programRepeals Recreational Trails program funding, though it was modified to strike eligibility only for non-motorized recreational trails, still allowing funding for motorized recreational trails (ATVs, motorcycles, etc.)Rep. YohoRejected by Rulesn/a
#180 - (Sense of Congress) to end federal program(Nonbinding) Sense of Congress that we should transfer authority for most taxing and spending for highway programs and mass transit programs to states.Rep. DeSantisApprovedRejected, 118-310

1 Comment

  1. Irvin Dawd

    8 years ago

    Good news: The bi-partisan amendment known as the Safe, Flexible, and Efficient (SAFE) Trucking Act (pdf) from Reps. Reid Ribble, aka big and heavy trucks, was rejected by a House floor vote, reports Keith Laing of The Hill on Tuesday
    http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/259048-house-rejects-highway-bill-amendment-to-allow-heavier-trucks!