{
  "id": "R42445",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R42445",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 408705,
      "date": "2012-05-21",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T00:06:49.707576",
      "title": "Surface Transportation Reauthorization Legislation in the 112th Congress: MAP-21, H.R. 7, and H.R. 4348\u2014Major Provisions",
      "summary": "The federal government\u2019s highway, mass transit, and surface transportation safety programs are periodically authorized in a multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill. The most recent reauthorization act, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU or SAFETEA; P.L. 109-59), expired at the end of FY2009. Since then, the surface transportation programs have been funded under extension acts.\nThe main obstacle to passage of a new multi-year bill during the past two years has been the disparity between projected spending and the much lower projections of the revenue flows to the highway trust fund (HTF). Taxes on gasoline and diesel provide 90% of the revenues for the HTF, which historically has funded the entire highway program and roughly 80% of the mass transit program. The rates on these taxes, which are on a cents-per-gallon basis, have not been increased since 1993. In addition, the condition of the economy and improvements in fuel economy have held down fuel consumption and as a result are adversely affecting HTF revenues. Consequently, authorizers face a dilemma: how to pass a bill without cutting infrastructure spending, raising the gas tax, or increasing the budget deficit.\nThe Senate has passed the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21, S. 1813, H.R. 4348, as amended), which would authorize surface transportation programs through September 30, 2013. MAP-21 proposes:\nA total Federal-Aid Highway Program authorization of $39.5 billion for FY2012 and $40.5 billion for FY2013 (reflecting rescissions), and $400 million for research and education in each fiscal year.\nTo reduce the total number of highway programs from roughly 90 to 30. The overall Federal-Aid Highway Program would be structured around five large \u201ccore\u201d programs. The existing Equity Bonus Program would be discontinued.\nTo accelerate project completion and speed up the environmental review process.\n$10.458 billion, annually, for FY2012-FY2013, for transit programs.\nThe House bill, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7), links the usual surface transportation reauthorization components with provisions designed to increase oil and gas production, the revenues from which would be provided for highway infrastructure. H.R. 7, counting the already-appropriated FY2012, is a five-year bill providing for a total authorization of roughly $260 billion. The House and Senate bills differ significantly in programmatic content and treatment of the HTF. Both, however, would reduce the number of programs by roughly two-thirds, would accelerate project delivery, and are free of program earmarking.\nH.R. 4348, the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, Part II, as passed by the House, would extend surface transportation authorizations through the end of FY2012. The Senate, on April 24, 2012, agreed to an amendment to H.R. 4348, striking the House-passed bill text and substituting the language of MAP-21. This action enabled the House and Senate to send the measure to conference.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
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      "topics": []
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  ],
  "topics": [
    "Energy Policy",
    "Environmental Policy",
    "Transportation Policy"
  ]
}