Transportation Empowerment Act

Bill: 109-hr-5205
Sponsor: Rep. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ-6]
Introduced: 2006-04-26 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: American Samoa
Animals
Bridges
Budget deficits
Commerce
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Diesel motor
Disaster relief
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Energy
Excise tax
Federal aid to transportation
Finance and Financial Sector
Forest roads
Gasoline
Government Operations and Politics
Government lending
Government paperwork
Government trust funds
Guam
Highway finance
Highway maintenance
Highway planning
Highway use tax
Indian lands
Infrastructure
Interstate compacts
Interstate highway system
Limited access highways
Mass rapid transit
Minorities
National forests
National parks
Northern Mariana Islands
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Public-private partnerships
Road construction
Science, Technology, Communications
Tax rates
Taxation
Toll roads
Traffic accidents and safety
Transportation research
Virgin Islands
Wildlife refuges

Summary:
action_date: 2006-04-26
text: 
Transportation Empowerment Act - Authorizes appropriations, for FY2010-FY2014, out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for the interstate maintenance program, emergency relief, interstate bridge program, the Federal lands highways program, highway safety programs, surface transportation research, and certain administrative expenses. 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. 
 
Prohibits restricting a State's ability, as part of any highway improvement project, to: (1) impose and collect a toll on any highway in the State that is part of the Interstate System; (2) use revenue from such a toll for any purpose that the State determines to be appropriate; or (3) have toll revenue credited toward a non-federal cost share required for receipt of federal funds.
 
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to: (1) extend, for five years, the availability of HTF funds for certain authorized expenditures; (2) set a core 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. 
 
 
 
Grants consent to states to enter into interstate compacts to establish infrastructure banks to promote investment in the construction of surface transportation projects. 
Amends the IRC to reduce taxes on gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, and special fuels funding the HTF.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-04-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines.
action_date: 2006-04-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, 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: 2006-04-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, 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: 2006-04-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, 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: 2006-04-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, 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: 2006-04-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-04-26
text: Introduced in House