Episode Details

Transportation: We all need it, and Congress funded it. In this episode, we take a detailed look into the FAST Act, which funds our national transportation network for the next five years. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! H.R. 22: FAST Act ("Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act) Bill Highlights Division A - Surface Transportation Title I - Federal-Aid Highways Funding level Highways will get an average of 41 billion per year. Private Freight Grants: $500 million can go to private rail freight companies to upgrade rail infrastructure; the Federal share of these projects is capped at 60%. Acceleration of Projects Creates a pilot program that will allow States to conduct environmental reviews, using their own State laws, instead of using the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Capped at 5 States The State can only be approved if the Secretary of Transportation determines the laws of the State are at least as stringent as the Federal requirements. No lawsuits will be allowed, challenging the permit approval, after 2 years. The program will sunset in 12 years Miscellaneous The Department of Transportation will identify national corridors for installation of electric car charging stations and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas refueling stations by the end of 2016. The goal is to have the charging and refueling stations deployed by September 30, 2020. Allows the Department of Transportation to move swallows from under bridges that need fixing until the Interior Department issues final rules. The Secretary of the Interior can suspend the authorization to move the swallows. Title III - Public Transportation Funding level The Mass Transit Account will provide and caps expenditures at an average of $9.7 billion per year. $199 million for positive train control installation, which can be used to pay for up to 80% of the cost. Buy American Requires American steel, iron, or manufactured goods to be purchased, when possible. Title IV - Highway Traffic Safety Provides grants to States in return for their establishment of laws that prohibit texting and driving. Prohibits Federal grant money from funding for State & local programs for checking for motorcycle helmet usage or checkpoints for motorcycle monitoring. Impaired Driving Provides grants to States for implementation of drunk driving laws. Orders a study and report to Congress on marijuana-impaired driving by the end of 2016. Title V - Motor Carrier Safety Drug Test Expansion Allows companies to conduct preemployment and random tests of commercial drivers for alcohol and controlled substances using hair testing as an alternative to urine testing. Allows for religious exemptions Title VI - Innovation Highway User Fees Grants will be provided to States that create user-fee programs for funding the Highway Trust Fund. The goal is to test the design and public acceptance of two or more user fee systems. Private vendors can be used to operate the fee collection systems. The fees collected will not be considered "tolls" Public Access to Research A database of all Department of Transportation research projects will be available on a public website and updated once per year. Title VII - Hazardous Materials Transportation Special permits Speeds up the decision time for special permits for transporting hazardous material by 60 days The decisions will be available to the public "Wetlines" Requires the Secretary of Transportation to kill a proposed rule that would have prohibited the transportation of flammable liquids in the pipes underneath tankers Transportation of flammable liquids by rail Within a year, the Secretary of Transportation has to create regulations to require r