The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill after a marathon 15-hour legislative markup session that began on May 21 and ended in the early morning of May 22. The committee adopted the bill by a vote of 62-2 with three members not voting. Existing highway and transit authorizations are set to expire Sept. 30.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Aubrey Bettencourt has resigned from the agency, according to a letter sent to staff as reported by Agri-Pulse. Colton Buckley, NRCS associate chief, will assume the role of chief.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) last week opened a $1.1 billion funding round to improve safety at railroad grade crossings. Funding under the Crossing Safety Program comes from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to address over 2,000 collisions and nearly 300 fatalities yearly since 2021. Eligible projects include installing or improving signs, signals or protective devices; relocating tracks; and creating road separation by adding tunnels, bridges or embankments.
After reaching a settlement over a right-to-repair lawsuit with farmers in April, Deere & Co. is facing a new class action suit that alleges it also unfairly restricted repairs for its construction, lawn, and turf equipment. The case was brought by Christy Webber & Co., a landscaping operation in Chicago that services city landmarks like Soldier Field, Millennium Park and Navy Pier. The plaintiff alleged that Deere’s business practices have inflated repair costs and increased wait times since May 2022.
On April 30 the House finally passed a farm bill by a 224-200 vote. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act, includes several key provisions for conservation aimed at supporting private land stewardship and enhancing wildlife habitat.
An attempt to include in the House passed Farm Bill a provision to allow year-round U.S. sales of higher ethanol fuel blends, known as E15, became a major sticking point throughout consideration of the bill. The provision was removed after concerns arose that the biofuel measure might not have enough support amid oil refinery opposition and cost concerns and could therefore scuttle the Farm bill. Instead, a vote on E15 in a freestanding measure is now set for May 13.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was expected to mark up the next surface transportation reauthorization bill in April, but that timeline has slipped, with action now anticipated in May, Roads and Bridges reports.
In March, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to create a new exception for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) at railroad grade crossings in specific situations.
House Transportation Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) announced this week that he is targeting April 29 as the start date for efforts to reauthorization the surface transportation bill and is negotiating a topline number between $500 billion and $550 billion, Politico reports. The bill would cover a five-year period that starts on October 1, 2026.
A refund system for businesses that paid tariffs that the US Supreme Court ruled President Trump imposed without the constitutional authority to do so launched April 20. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agency charged with administering the system, opened an online portal for importers to file their claims. CBP will be evaluating and refunding up to $175 billion in revenue collected from the now invalidated tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).