Draft of new highway bill includes key trucking safety measures The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has released the text of a new five-year, $580 billion surface transportation reauthorization package that includes dozens of trucking safety measures. The “BUILD America 250 Act” adds new electric vehicle fees on passenger vehicles to help fund the nation’s infrastructure and provides the first-ever framework for autonomous commercial motor vehicles. There is also $750 million set aside for the construction of new truck parking and the conversion of existing property into additional spaces. The Committee’s statement said that leaders plan to formally introduce the 1,005–page legislation in the near future, and aim to send the final version to President Trump for his signature before the current surface transportation authorization expires on Sept. 30. “I’m extremely proud of the historic level of investment in America’s bridges – at more than $50 billion, it’s the largest such investment in our history,” Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) said of the BUILD America 250 Act, which is short for the Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th Act. “The bill also makes smart and targeted reforms to our surface transportation programs, focuses on strengthening our core infrastructure system, drives innovation, bolsters safety, ensures states have the flexibility they need, and cuts red tape to get projects built faster,” Graves added. It provides the Highway Trust Fund with an additional revenue stream beyond fuel taxes, with new annual registration fees of $130 for electric vehicles and $35 for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Beginning in 2029, fees would increase by $5 every two years. “A commitment to bipartisan lawmaking means finding compromise; while this bill does not include every priority, I am committed to building on the last bipartisan infrastructure law by creating good-paying transportation jobs, growing the economy