A bill that promises funding for local bridges, highways and safety construction across the nation is up for reauthorization at the federal level.
The Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, S.1931, was enacted in 2021. Now, the Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th Act (BUILD America 250 Act,) its successor bill, was introduced in the House on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, and referred to the House’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Every five years, Congress must pass legislation to reauthorize funding for programs administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation and several of its modal agencies.
The previous version of the transportation bill was rolled into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; PL 117-58), passed in 2021 and set to expire on September 30, 2026.
The committee hopes to get the current legislation from Congress to the President’s desk before the current surface transportation authorization expires in September.
What is the BUILD America 250 Act?
The BUILD America 250th Act, if approved, is a bipartisan bill that will direct $580 billion to federal transportation investments, making changes to federal policies and funding projects in New York counties.
The bill would also require owners of electric cars to pay a fee to cover the cost of road repairs and transit projects on top of existing state fees.
EV drivers in New York are currently not being charged fees, however, the passage of this bill could change that.
“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. And the BUILD America 250 Act ensures that electric vehicle owners begin paying their fair share for the use of our roads,” said the Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Sam Graves (R-MO), in a statement.
At least 41 states (New York isn’t one of them) now require a special registration fee for battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) or other non-emission motor vehicles or alternative fuel vehicles, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The federal fee would take effect in 2027, rising $5 every two years.
The increase will be capped at $150 by 2035 for strictly battery-operated vehicles, and $50 by 2033 for hybrid vehicles. It would be the states’ responsibility to collect fees from EV drivers or face penalties.
Changes to programs under the BUILD America 250 Act
According to the National Association of Counties, estimates show that counties and other local governments will have access to up to 22% of funding in the bill, through formula set-asides, suballocation and discretionary grant opportunities.
Counties like Monroe County can potentially benefit from funding made available through new and existing programs. The act, if passed, could do the following:
The House committee plans to hold a markup of the BUILD America 250 Act at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 21 in Washington D.C. The meeting will be livestreamed and can be accessed at transportation.house.gov.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: This $580B U.S. bill could repair local bridges, charge EV owners fees
Reporting by Genae Shields, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
