By Ron Gallagher, Constructiondive.com
Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday introduced legislation that would authorize $260 billion for federal transportation, transit and safety spending over the next five years and, they said, make it easier to get projects from paper to steel and concrete.
The American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act is "a long overdue infrastructure bill that reforms transportation programs and promotes increased domestic energy production to create American jobs," committee Chairman John Mica, R-Fla., said in announcing it.
The Washington Post said the legislation would "shift more decision-making authority to state governments, dramatically reduce the time spent on environmental reviews and encourage private companies to expand the highway system by building toll roads."
Mica's announcement said the bill would:
- Consolidate or eliminate nearly 70 federal programs
- Eliminate mandates that states spend highway funding on non-highway activities
- Allow states to set their own transportation priorities
- Delegate more project approval authority to states
- Condense deadlines for federal agency project approvals
- Accelerate the approval process for projects in an existing right-of-way
- Encourage states to partner with the private sector to finance and build projects
- Streamline the project delivery process and reduces regulatory burdens for rail projects
Associated General Contractors issued a statement saying Mica's bill would "significantly accelerate transportation improvements across the country by cutting the needless red tape and regulatory redundancies that have forced projects to languish for years awaiting federal approval to move forward."
