SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-3248
Sponsor: Rep. Oberstar, James L. [D-MN-8]
Introduced: 2007-07-31 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Alaska
American Samoa
Authorization
Boundaries
Bridges
Buy American
California
Canada
Commemorations
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Energy
Driver licenses
Drug abuse
Drunk driving
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Energy
Energy conservation
Environmental Protection
Ex-Members of Congress
Excise tax
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to research
Federal aid to transportation
Federal employees
Federal office buildings
Federal preemption
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Forest roads
Fuel cells
Fuel consumption
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government trust funds
Higher education
Highway use tax
Housing and Community Development
Indiana
Infrastructure
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Interstate commerce
Interstate highway system
Kentucky
Land transfers
Local taxation
Magnetic levitation vehicles
Maryland
Mass rapid transit
Methane
Michigan
Minnesota
Minorities
Mississippi
Montana
Motor buses
Names
National parks
Native Americans
Nevada
New Jersey
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Puerto Rico
Railroad engineering
Railroad freight operations
Railroad safety
Railroad terminals
Relocation
Rescission of appropriated funds
Research and development
Research centers
Rhode Island
Road construction
Roads and highways
Scenic byways
Science, Technology, Communications
Senate
Solar energy
State laws
State taxation
Subways
Taxation
Technological innovations
Terminals (Transportation)
Texas
Tourism
Traffic accidents and safety
Traffic engineering
Transfer of employees
Transportation engineering
Transportation research
Trucking
Trucks
Urban affairs
Urban transportation
Waste water treatment

Summary:
action_date: 2007-07-31
text: 
SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2007 - Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to make certain technical corrections to the surface transportation program, including earmarking of public lands highway funds for forest highways and forest roads, defining &quot;transportation systems management and operations,&quot; replacing &quot;federal-aid system&quot; with &quot;federal-aid highways&quot; in apportionment of highway safety improvement program funds, and authorizing a state to expend unused funds for installation of protective devices at railway-highway crossings on highway safety improvement program projects. 
 
Increases funding for deployment of magnetic levitation (MAGLEV) projects through FY2009.
 
Repeals the authority of a state to locate idling reduction facilities on Interstate System rights-of-way.
 
Makes changes to specified high priority project authorizations, including certain project authorization increases and decreases. Revises the item descriptions to specified transportation improvement projects.
 
Requires the deduction of a specified amount from state federal-aid highway apportionments for the future strategic highway research program. Increases: (1) funding for university transportation research through FY2009; and (2) the grant to establish a regional university transportation center for FY2009.
 
 
Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) to authorize up to 15% of surface transportation program funds to be obligated on roads functionally classified as minor collectors in areas of less than 5,000 population through FY2009.
 
Authorizes through FY2009 the award of formula grants for public transportation projects in urbanized areas with a population of at least 200,000.
 
Makes certain apportionments for fixed guideway modernization in urbanized areas through FY2009.
 
Sets the minimum apportionment of federal funds to a state for highway safety programs at not less than three-quarters of 1%. (Current law requires not less than one-half of 1%.)
 
Provides for the installation of a photovoltaic system at the Department of Energy (DOE) headquarters building in Washington, D.C.
 
Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 to increase federal funding for a wastewater treatment project in DeSoto County, Mississippi.
 

 

action_date: 2007-08-01
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

 
SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2007 - 
Title I: Highway Provisions - 
(Sec. 101) Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users or SAFETEA-LU to make certain revisions and technical corrections to the surface transportation program, including earmarking of public lands highway funds for forest roads, defining &quot;transportation systems management and operations,&quot; replacing &quot;federal-aid system&quot; with &quot;federal-aid highways&quot; in apportionment of highway safety improvement program funds, and authorizing a state to expend unused funds for installation of protective devices at railway-highway crossings on highway safety improvement program projects.
 
 
Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 to revise the designation of Interstate Route 376 as a high priority corridor on the National Highway System (NHS) to exclude the U.S. Route 422 segment from such designation.
 
Authorizes an Indian tribe to nominate a road as an All-American Road or one of America's Byways (current law, can nominate a road as a National Scenic Byway) only if a federal land management agency (other than the Bureau of Indian Affairs), a state, or a political subdivision of a state does not have jurisdiction over, or responsibility for managing, the road. Makes safety improvements to America's Byways eligible for federal-aid highway assistance.
 
Revises provisions that rescind certain unobligated balances of funds apportioned to states prior to September 30, 2009, to include unobligated balances of funds for equity bonus, railway-highway crossings, and separately the set aside for the high risk rural road program.
 
(Sec. 102) Increases funding for deployment of magnetic levitation (MAGLEV) projects through FY2009. Revises the allocation of such funds to require 50% of such funds to be allocated to the Nevada department of transportation for the MAGLEV project between Las Vegas and Primm, Nevada, as a segment of the high-speed MAGLEV system between Las Vegas, Nevada, and Anaheim, California.
 
(Sec. 103) Changes the item descriptions of national and regional significance projects: (1) to decrease the amount for planning, design, and construction of a new American border plaza at the Blue Water Bridge in or near Port Huron, Michigan (earmarking an amount for integrated highway realignment and grade separations at Port Huron to eliminate road blockages from NAFTA rail traffic); (2) from relocation of the El Paso, Texas, rail yard to Santa Teresa to construction and other related transportation improvements associated with the rail yard relocation in the vicinity of Santa Teresa; (3) from I-80 improvements, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, to redesign and reconstruction of interchanges 298 and 299 of I-80 and accompanying improvements to any other public roads in the vicinity, Monroe County; and (4) from I-80 improvements, Indiana, to improvements to state road 312, Hammond, Indiana.
 
 
 (Sec. 104) Amends federal highway law to repeal the authority of a state to locate idling reduction facilities on Interstate System rights-of-way.
 
(Sec. 105) Makes changes to the item descriptions of specified high priority project authorizations, including certain project authorization increases and decreases and terminations. Authorizes an amount for a high priority project to repair and restore a railroad bridge in Westerly, Rhode Island.
 
 
Sets forth requirements for the use of unused obligation authority, or authorized funding that was reduced, for high priority projects.
 
Directs the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to transfer to the Commandant of the Coast Guard amounts made available for the replacement of the Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge in Galveston, Texas, in order to carry out such project.
 
Authorizes a state to expend for each of the 2007-2009 fiscal years not more than $1 million of its apportionment of surface transportation funds for certain fuel tax activities, including participation in the Joint Operation Center for Fuel Compliance (JOC).
 
(Sec. 106) Revises the nonmotorized transportation pilot program to require the construction of a network of nonmotorized transportation infrastructure facilities in Minneapolis, Minnesota, (current law, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota) and in other specified communities.
 
(Sec. 107) Revises the description of the designation of a portion of U.S. Route 271 as part of the NHS to include the portion from Interstate Route 540, west to the intersection with U.S. Route 59, and northwest to the intersection with Interstate Route 40, Sallisaw, Oklahoma.
 
 
(Sec. 108) Changes to December 31, 2007, the date the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission must submit a certain report to Congress. Directs the Secretary (currently, the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration), upon request of the Commission, to provide, on a nonreimbursable basis, administrative support and services to the Commission. Authorizes the Secretary, on the request of the Commission, to detail, on a nonreimbursable basis, Department of Transportation (DOT) personnel to the Commission.
 
Increases the authorization of appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2007 for Commission activities regarding the future needs of the surface transportation system. Limits: (1) such funds only for Commission activities; and (2) the availability of data, analyses, reports, or other documents prepared for the Commission to other commissions or task forces until such information has been made available to the public.
 
(Sec. 109) Revises certain provisions expressing the sense of the Congress to state that the Federal Highway Administration's current application of the Buy American test to only the components or parts of a bridge project and not the entire bridge project is inconsistent with the sense of Congress.
 
(Sec. 110) Revises the item descriptions to specified transportation improvement projects, including allocating an amount from the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) through FY2009 for village road improvements for Saole county in the Eastern district of American Samoa.
 
Increases the authorization of appropriations for the transportation project to reconstruct various roads throughout the Municipality of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, including pavings and cold millings as well as construction of gutters. 
 
(Sec. 111) Directs the Secretary to make funds available from authorized appropriations from the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2007 for the design of the I-95/Contee Road interchange project in Prince George's County, Maryland.
 
(Sec. 112) Requires the deduction of a specified amount from state federal-aid highway apportionments for the future strategic highway research program.
 
Increases the funding for university transportation research through FY2009. Sets the federal share of surface transportation research and technology development projects, long-term bridge performance program projects (including innovative bridge research and deployment program projects), and national technology deployment program projects at 80%. 
 
Eliminates a requirement that the future strategic highway research program be based on certain program elements. 
 
Earmarks an amount of surface transportation research, development, and deployment program funds for FY2007-FY2009 for: (1) a certain infrastructure investment needs report to Congress; and (2) the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center.
 
Amends federal transportation law to revise provisions to require the Secretary to expend not more than 1.5% of amounts for grants to establish and operate university transportation centers for management and oversight of such centers through FY2009. 
 
(Sec. 113) Increases the rescission of unobligated balances of funds apportioned prior to September 30, 2009, for certain surface transportation programs.
 
(Sec. 114) Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to authorize through FY2009 up to 15% of surface transportation program funds to be obligated on roads functionally classified as minor collectors in areas of less than 5,000 population.
 
Revises the item descriptions of certain high priority projects.
 
(Sec. 115) Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 to revise the designation of: (1) the Liberty Corridor, New Jersey, as a high priority corridor on the NHS to include U.S. Routes 1, 9, and 46, and State Routes 3 and 17; and (2) the corridor in an area of passage in the State of New Jersey serving significant interstate and regional traffic, located near the cities of Camden, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a high priority corridor on the NHS to include State Route 42 and Interstate Route 76.
 
Revises the item description of the Traverse City Bypass, Traverse City, Michigan innovative highway project to include its contiguous counties.
 
(Sec. 116) Amends federal highway law to revise the term &quot;repeat intoxicated driver law&quot; to mean a state law that provides, as a minimum penalty, that an individual convicted of a second or subsequent offense for driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence after a previous conviction for that offense shall, among other things, receive: (1) a driver's license suspension for not less than one year (current law); or (2) a combination of suspension of all driving privileges for the first 45 days of the suspension period followed by a reinstatement of limited driving privileges for the purpose of getting to and from work, school, or an alcohol treatment program if an ignition interlock device is installed on the motor vehicles owned or operated, or both, by the individual.
 
(Sec. 117) Amends federal transportation law to increase the grant for FY2009 to establish a regional university transportation center.
 
(Sec. 118) Requires the Secretary to: (1) publish in the Federal Register, and provide for public comment on, waivers of Buy America requirements with respect to surface transportation projects; and (2) report annually to Congress with respect to such waivers.
 
(Sec. 119) Directs the Secretary to conduct, and report to Congress on, a study on the impacts of converting left and right highway safety shoulders to travel lanes.
 
(Sec. 120) Directs the Secretary to designate as a future part of the Interstate System the Audubon Parkway and the Natcher Parkway in Owensboro, Kentucky, provided certain requirements are met.
 
(Sec. 121) Authorizes the Secretary to use single-failure (or, single-disaster) highway-related funds to reimburse the California state department of transportation for actual and necessary costs of maintenance and operation (less the amount of fares earned) for additional public transportation services and traveler information services it provided as a temporary substitute for highway traffic service following the freeway collapse at the interchange connecting Interstate Routes 80, 580, and 880 near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on April 29, 2007, until the reopening of that facility on June 29, 2007. Sets the federal share of the cost of reimbursed activities at 100%.
 
(Sec. 122) Allows certain high priority project funds for construction of S. 323 from Alzada to Ekalaka in Carter County, Montana to be obligated for any other high priority project in such state.
 
 

Title II: Transit Provisions - 
(Sec. 201) Amends federal transportation law to exclude sightseeing from the term &quot;public transportation.&quot;
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to finance the operating cost of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population of at least 200,000 through FY2009. Sets forth, based on a certain formula, the maximum amount of such funds that may be obligated to such areas for FY2008 and FY2009.
 
Names a certain program authorizing the Secretary to carry out qualified projects to enhance the protection and enjoyment of national parks and public lands as the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program.
 
Makes specified allocations for fixed guideway modernization through FY2009.
 
Increases the total obligation ceiling for FY2008 for the Mass Transit Account.
 
Makes specified changes to: (1) certain project authorizations for new fixed guideway capital projects; (2) certain projects for bus and bus-related facilities; and (3) the hydrogen fuel cell shuttle deployment demonstration program.
 
Requires the Secretary in evaluating the local share of costs of certain new fixed guideway capital projects to give consideration to project elements of certain other phased segments of such capital projects advanced with 100% non-federal funds.
 
Amends the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1986 to repeal the prohibition against use of certain funds for any segment of the downtown Los Angeles to San Fernando Valley Metro Rail project unless the Southern California Rapid Transit District notifies the Urban Mass Transportation Administration that no part of the Metro Rail project will tunnel through any zone designated as a potential risk zone or high potential risk zone for methane gas.
 

Title III: Other Surface Transportation Provisions - 
(Sec. 301) Authorizes fees collected under the Unified Carrier Registration System to be credited to the Department of Transportation (DOT) appropriations account and remain available until expended.
 
Declares it to be an unreasonable burden upon interstate commerce for any state or any political subdivision of a state, or any political authority of two or more states to require an interstate motor carrier or motor private carrier that also performs intrastate operations to pay any fee or tax from which a carrier engaged exclusively in intrastate (currently, interstate) operations is exempt.
 
Allows a state to continue to require a motor carrier, motor private carrier, freight forwarder, or leasing company to display identifying credentials on or in a commercial vehicle (other than as required by federal law) under the International Fuel Tax Agreement (current law) or under an applicable state law if, on October 1, 2006, the state has a form of highway use taxation not subject to collection through the Agreement.
 
Replaces the term &quot;drive-away saddlemount with fullmount&quot; with &quot;driveaway saddlemount.&quot; Prohibits a state from enforcing a regulation that imposes a vehicle length limit of not less than or more than 97 feet on all driveaway saddlemount vehicle transporter combinations.
 
(Sec. 303) Amends federal highway law to set, effective October 1, 2007, the minimum apportionment of federal funds to a state for highway safety programs at not less than three-quarters of 1%. (Current law requires not less than one-half of 1%.)
 

Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions - 
(Sec. 401) Directs the Administrator of General Services to install a photovoltaic system, as set forth in the Sun Wall Design Project, for the headquarters building of the Department of Energy (DOE) located at 1000 Independence Avenue, Southwest, Washington, D.C., commonly known as the Forrestal Building. Authorizes funding from the Federal Buildings Fund.
 
(Sec. 402) Requires the Administrator of General Services to convey all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the GSA Fleet Management Center (located in Anchorage, Alaska) to the Alaska Railroad Corporation in exchange for: (1) suitable replacement property and such other consideration as agreed to; or (2) payment of fair market value. Requires any proceeds received to be deposited into the Federal Buildings Fund.
 
(Sec. 403) Directs the Administrator of General Services to convey to the city of St. Joseph, Michigan, by quitclaim deed, any interest retained by the United States in St. Joseph Memorial Hall. 
 
Requires the city of St. Joseph, as consideration for such conveyance, to pay $10,000 to the United States. 
 

Title V: Other Provisions - 
(Sec. 501) Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 to increase federal funding for a wastewater treatment project in DeSoto County, Mississippi.

action_date: 2008-07-16
text: 
Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to revise the item descriptions of specified high priority project authorizations. Increases, decreases, or terminates certain project authorizations.
 
Authorizes funds for a transportation improvement project for reconstructing the I-95/S.R. 1 interchange in the state of Delaware, and adding a fifth lane.
 
Revises the item description of the Cuming Street transportation improvement project in Omaha, Nebraska, to include the narrowing of 24th Street from Cuming Street to Cass Street and adjacent lighting, landscaping, and pedestrian safety enhancements. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 883.
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-05-21
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Received in the Senate.
action_date: 2007-08-01
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2007-08-01
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 422 - 1 (Roll no. 789). (text: CR 8/2/2007 H9507-9519)
action_date: 2007-08-01
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 422 - 1 (Roll no. 789).(text: CR 8/2/2007 H9507-9519)
action_date: 2007-08-01
text: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR 8/2/2007 H9532-9533)
action_date: 2007-08-01
text: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
action_date: 2007-08-01
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3248.
action_date: 2007-08-01
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR 8/2/2007 H9507-9522)
action_date: 2007-08-01
text: Mr. Oberstar moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
action_date: 2007-07-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
action_date: 2007-07-31
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2007-07-31
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-07-31
text: Introduced in House