Transportation Empowerment Act

Bill: 109-hr-2284
Sponsor: Rep. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ-6]
Introduced: 2005-05-11 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Authorization
Bridges
Commerce
Department of Transportation
Diesel motor
Economics and Public Finance
Excise tax
Federal aid to transportation
Gasoline
Government Operations and Politics
Government property
Government trust funds
Highway finance
Highway maintenance
Highway use tax
Indian lands
Infrastructure
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Interstate highway system
Mass rapid transit
Military transportation
Minorities
Motor vehicle safety
Nonprofit organizations
Privatization
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Railroad engineering
Research and development
Research grants
Road construction
Roads and highways
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
State finance
State laws
State taxation
Tax credits
Tax rates
Tax refunds
Taxation
Traffic accidents and safety
Transportation engineering
Transportation research
Trucking
Trucks
Tunnels

Summary:
action_date: 2005-05-11
text: 
Transportation Empowerment Act - Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for the interstate maintenance program, the interstate and Indian reservation bridge program, the Federal lands highways program, highway safety programs, and transportation research programs. Authorizes a state, upon determining that excess funds have been made available, to transfer the excess funds to, and use such funds for, any surface transportation purpose (including mass transit and rail) in the state. Revises requirements regarding state apportionments under the interstate maintenance component for resurfacing, restoring, rehabilitating, and reconstructing the Interstate System. 
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to: (1) extend the availability of HTF funds for authorized expenditures; (2) set a essential programs financing rate for gasoline, special motor fuels, kerosene, and diesel fuel; (3) establish in the HTF an Infrastructure Special Assistance Fund; and (4) provide for the return of excess tax receipts to states for transportation purposes. 
 
 
Directs the head of each executive agency to: (1) assist state and local governments in efforts to privatize their transportation infrastructure assets; and (2) approve requests from such governments to privatize such assets and waive or modify conditions relating to the original Federal program that funded the asset under specified circumstances. 
Amends the IRC to reduce taxes on gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, and special fuels funding the HTF.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines.
action_date: 2005-05-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-05-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-05-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-05-11
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-05-11
text: Introduced in House