US House of Representatives have passed the INVEST in America Act by a vote of 219-201. The measure would dedicate USD 343 billion to roads, bridges and safety, USD 109 billion to transit, and USD 95 billion to passenger and freight rail. It would also commit USD 117 billion to drinking water infrastructure and over USD 51 billion to wastewater infrastructure.

 

This bill addresses provisions related to federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, research, hazardous materials, and rail programs of the Department of Transportation. Among other provisions, the bill Extends FY2021 enacted levels through FY2022 for federal-aid highway, transit, and safety programs

 

Reauthorizes for FY2023-FY2026 several surface transportation programs, including the federal-aid highway program, transit programs, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and rail programs

 

Addresses climate change, including strategies to reduce the climate change impacts of the surface transportation system and a vulnerability assessment to identify opportunities to enhance the resilience of the surface transportation system and ensure the efficient use of federal resources

 

Revises Buy America procurement requirements for highways, mass transit, and rail

 

Establishes a rebuild rural bridges program to improve the safety and state of good repair of bridges in rural communities

 

Implements new safety requirements across all transportation modes

 

Directs DOT to establish a pilot program to demonstrate a national motor vehicle per-mile user fee to restore and maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund and achieve and maintain a state of good repair in the surface transportation system.

 

American Iron and Steel Institute President & CEO Mr Kevin Dempsey said “Today’s House passage of the more than 500-billion-dollar surface transportation bill is a positive development in the process to repair and replace America’s deteriorating roads and bridges and to use American steel to do so. We also applaud the bill’s provisions to ensure that the steel products purchased through the EPA’s State Revolving Fund programs for wastewater and drinking water projects are made in the United States. American-made steel is the cleanest in the world. Of the leading steel producing nations, the U.S. has the lowest CO2 emissions per ton of steel produced and the lowest energy intensity. By contrast, Chinese steel production creates CO2 emissions that are almost 2.5 times higher per ton than the U.S. We are pleased this infrastructure bill recognizes this by ensuring clean American steel will be used to build back America. We urge that the House and Senate work with the Biden administration to ensure final passage this year of consensus legislation to invest in infrastructure and use American steel.”

source：SteelGuru Business News