The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Sam Graves (R-MO) said it was his intention to get a new surface transportation reauthorization bill passed before the end of 2026; the old one expires on September 30, 2026. A large step was taken in that direction on May 18 when the BUILD America 250 Act — the name given to the current highway reauthorization bill — was set for markup on the 21st. But “markup” is a process of debates, rewrites and amendments that could substantially change the bill before it is ever presented to the full House of Representatives for a vote. For now, the bill is a five-year plan that earmarks $580 billion for the nation’s infrastructure, with $474.4 billion coming from the Highway Trust Fund. The funding would be allocated as follows: - $376 billion would go to the Federal Highway Administration for road and bridge construction and repair; - $87.6 billion would go to the Federal Transit Administration for use in mass transit; and - $64.7 billion would go to the Federal Railroad Administration (this includes $31.1 billion for Amtrak). But wait, that’s not all! The bill is loaded with other provisions. They’re all highlighted in a 64-page summary released by Graves and Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA). Click here to download the summary. Registration fees on motor vehicles One item that trucking organizations have pushed for is the imposition of federal registration fees for electric and hybrid vehicles. Since no motor fuel is burned in an electric vehicle, no fuel taxes are collected to fund building and maintenance of roads. Methods of collection have been debated for years. The BUILD America 250 Act would require states to collect a $130 registration fee, beginning in 2029, increasing the amount to a cap of $150.