APTA: Mica to reveal six-year surface transportation authorization bill this week

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL) plans to unveil details on his proposal for a six-year surface transportation authorization bill. In recent meetings with transportation industry leaders, Mica said that he will release bill text following the July 4th holiday, with formal introduction of the legislation to take place the week of July 11, and committee markup the week of July 25. Limited to the confines of the House-passed budget resolution developed by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), which requires cuts in transportation programs of over 30 percent compared to current levels, the authorized funding level will be approximately $230 billion over six years. This is the funding level that the committee believes can be sustained by revenues deposited into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) over that period, assuming no increases in revenue or additional general fund transfers. The bill will also authorize funding to be appropriated from the General Fund of the U.S. Treasury for specific programs. It is anticipated that Mica's bill will focus on program consolidation, streamlining the project delivery process and greater use of innovative financing and public-private partnerships. The bill is not expected to include his recent proposal to privatize passenger rail service in the Northeast Corridor. Despite the uncertainty of floor time, Mica has said that he plans to release his bill. Action on authorization will be required before September 30, when the current extension of SAFETEA-LU expires.