U.S. House to Vote on Six-Year Bill

On Thursday, November 5, the U.S. House is poised to consider the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform (STRR) Act of 2015 (H.R. 3763) when it votes on H.R. 22. The STRR Act is a six-year authorization of federal surface transportation policy and spending authority that addresses several county transportation priorities.

*Please ask your U.S. Representatives to vote “yes” on the STRR Act.*

The STRR Act recognizes the critical role counties and other local governments play in the nation’s transportation system by increasing the amount of funding available for locally owned infrastructure and putting more federal highway dollars in the hands of local decision-makers. In addition, the bill addresses safety issues on high-risk rural roads and provides funding for public transportation systems of all sizes. To view NACo’s letter in support of the STRR Act, click here.

For more information on the STRR Act and how it compares to current law and the Senate’s DRIVE Act, click here.

If the STRR Act passes, the House will negotiate a final reauthorization bill with the Senate, which passed its own legislation on July 30 known as the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act. Congress must reconcile the differences between these two bills and come to a compromise by November 20 when the current extension of MAP-21 expires.

*BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND WHY THIS MATTERS TO COUNTIES*
Counties play a critical role in the nation’s transportation system. We are responsible for building and maintaining 230,690 bridges and 45 percent of all public roads (compared to the 32 percent of public roads owned by cities and townships, 19 percent by states and 3 percent by the federal government), and are involved in a third of the nation’s transit systems and airports that connect residents, communities and businesses.

Federal funding and policy for highway, transit and transportation safety programs that support counties and county-owned infrastructure is authorized by Congress on a multi-year basis. The most recently enacted authorization is the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act, which passed Congress in the summer of 2012. *While MAP-21 supported a number of county transportation priorities, like continued funding for off-system bridges, it also eliminated and consolidated several highway programs which reduced the funding available for locally owned highways and bridges by 30 percent.* In addition, MAP-21 eliminated almost all discretionary programs for transit, making it difficult for local communities to pursue major transit investments.

MAP-21 was originally set to expire on September 30, 2014. Congress has extended MAP-21 numerous times in order to avoid a lapse in funding while it concludes work on a long-term reauthorization bill. The upcoming expiration of MAP-21 on November 20th provides Congress an opportunity to reauthorize the federal surface transportation programs, make policy changes and set funding levels for years to come.

*NACo RESOURCES*
For more information on the STRR Act and how it compares to current law and the Senate’s DRIVE Act, click here .

For more information on surface transportation reauthorization and how MAP-21 affected the funding available for locally owned infrastructure in your state, visit NACo’s online resource hub .

*CONTACT*
*Jessica Monahan*, Associate Legislative Director, Transportation
(202) 285-9172