Six-year highway bill drafted in House

The House of Representatives introduced a six-year, $325 billion highway bill.

According to The Hill, the bill would spend $261 billion on highways, $55 billion on transit and about $9 billion on safety programs – but only if Congress can figure out how to pay for the final three years.

The Hill reports that the first three years of spending would be guaranteed. The remaining three years would be authorized pending additional funding from congressional appropriators.

The bill, called the Surface Transportation Reauthorization & Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act), was introduced as the current highway-funding measure is about to expire.

Pam Whitted, senior vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs at the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, says the bill is a welcome step to secure a long-term investment in U.S. infrastructure.

“There have been 34 short-term extensions of transportation funding since 2009, so we are very pleased to see a six-year bill that allows state and local governments to undertake much-needed large-scale and complex projects,” she says. “We are closer than ever to seeing a long-term transportation bill. We encourage members of Congress to continue down this road and avoid another short-term extension.”