Expedites Projects in the Right of Way: Mandates a rulemaking for classifying projects within an existing “operational right of way” as a categorical exclusion.

Expedites Projects Destroyed by Disaster: Mandates a rulemaking to classify projects being rebuilt after a disaster as a categorical exclusion.

State Law Standing in for Federal Law:  Requires a study on which state laws provide the same level of protection as federal law.

Program Reform & Consolidation: Since the creation of the Highway Trust Fund and the core highway and bridge programs, numerous additional federal programs have been created, diluting the focus of the Trust Fund.  Currently there are well over 100 programs. In the last four years, $35 billion in General Fund transfers have been necessary to maintain Highway Trust Fund (HTF) solvency.

This measure consolidates and eliminates programs, and better focuses limited gas tax revenues on critical needs:

·         Consolidates the number of surface transportation programs by two-thirds.

·         Eliminates dozens of programs and makes more resources available with flexibility to states and metropolitan areas.

·         Lowers total Transportation Enhancements program funding by $200 million and gives states the flexibility to use 50% of this money on construction projects.

·         Incentivizes, rather than penalizes, states to partner with the private sector to finance and operate transportation projects.