The Daily Dig
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act, on May 22, 2026, by a bipartisan vote of 62 to 2 following a 14-hour markup session. Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) formally introduced the bill on May 19. It now awaits action on the House floor, with the goal of reaching the president's desk before the current surface transportation authorization expires on September 30, 2026.
The five-year, $580 billion bill includes roughly $474.4 billion in Highway Trust Fund contract authority and approximately $106 billion subject to annual appropriations. It directs $64.7 billion to rail programs through the Federal Railroad Administration, including $31.1 billion for Amtrak. Of that Amtrak funding, $10.4 billion goes to Northeast Corridor operations and $20.7 billion to the national network. Transit receives $87.6 billion from the Highway Trust Fund over fiscal years 2027 through 2031, up from $69.8 billion authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. An additional $41 billion is set aside for discretionary grant programs.
To shore up the Highway Trust Fund, the bill introduces annual registration fees on alternatively fueled vehicles. Hybrids would pay $35 per year and EVs $130 per year. Starting in 2029, those fees increase by $5 every two years, with hybrids capping at $50 and EVs at $150.
The bill restricts federal grants, awards, and financial assistance to California's high-speed rail project while a working group evaluates the project, with the restriction lasting no longer than two years after enactment.
Snapshot:
Bill: H.R. 8870, BUILD America 250 Act
Full Name: Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America's 250th Act
Total Authorization: approximately $580 billion
Highway Trust Fund Contract Authority: $474.4 billion
Subject to Annual Appropriations: approximately $106 billion
Term: Five years (FY2027 to FY2031)
FRA Rail Program Funding: $64.7 billion
Amtrak Total: $31.1 billion
Amtrak, Northeast Corridor: $10.4 billion
Amtrak, National Network: $20.7 billion
Mass Transit (Highway Trust Fund): $87.6 billion
Prior IIJA Mass Transit Allocation: $69.8 billion
Discretionary Grant Programs: $41 billion
EV Registration Fee: $130 per year (increasing by $5 biennially from 2029, capping at $150)
Hybrid Registration Fee: $35 per year (increasing by $5 biennially from 2029, capping at $50)
California HSR: Federal funding restricted while working group evaluates the project; restriction lasts no longer than two years after enactment
Committee Sponsors: Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.)
Introduced: May 19, 2026
Committee Vote: 62 to 2
Committee Markup: May 21 to 22, 2026 (14-hour session)
Status: Approved by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on May 22, 2026; awaiting House floor action
Current Authorization Expiration: September 30, 2026
TheJobWalk Thoughts
The September 30 deadline carries real risk for discretionary grant programs and new project starts. If Congress stalls and authorization lapses, those are the areas most exposed to delays in new obligations and funding approvals. GCs and subs with work tied to discretionary federal programs should be reviewing their contract structures and cash flow assumptions now, not when it becomes urgent.
The Highway Trust Fund is projected to become insolvent by July 2028 and in 2026, tax receipts cover just sixty percent of what it spends. The EV and hybrid fees are the first new HTF revenue stream in decades, but they are projected to raise less than $10 billion over the first five years against a confirmed $138 billion shortfall through 2036. That gap matters because the $106 billion appropriations-dependent portion of this bill carries no funding guarantee and, unlike the IIJA, no advanced appropriations. Those dollars are subject to the annual political process and cannot be treated as locked-in revenue for project planning.
The $87.6 billion mass transit allocation and $64.7 billion for rail signal sustained federal commitment through 2031. Agencies will move at different speeds based on how ready their capital programs are. Subs and GCs active in those sectors should be tracking regional capital improvement plan updates and building agency relationships well before formal solicitations appear.
