On Tuesday morning, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) unanimously reported favorably S. 2302, America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act (ATIA). This bill reauthorizes the nation’s surface transportation and infrastructure programs. The legislation represents a 27% increase in funding over the FAST Act, 18% of which will come in the first year of the reauthorization, Fiscal Year 2021. The FAST Act expires at the end of Fiscal Year 2020.
The bill represents $287 billion over five years, $259 billion of which is distributed to states by formula. These funds enable states to engage in concrete-intensive surface transportation projects that improve our bridges and roadways and enable the ready mixed concrete industry and hundreds of other industries to reliably get their goods to market. In an off-the-record briefing last week, EPW senior staff of both parties briefed NRMCA and other interested parties on the reauthorization – which was released on Monday before the EPW meeting – as well as provided background assuring that the bill would be fully paid for. While the Finance Committee has not released its plan on how to pay for the reauthorization, staff indicated that it would rely on user fees, but did not say whether it would include a gas tax increase.
EPW staff indicated that they expect all of the appropriations bills to be dealt with before the ATIA is considered on the floor. Sen. John Barrasso, chairman of the EPW Committee, said Monday that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is open to considering the bill before the end of the year.
A one-pager summary of the bill is available here and a section by section breakdown is available here. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association