On Tuesday, September 20, 2016, the House will consider H.R. 5977, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to provide to the appropriate committees of Congress advance notice of certain announcements, under suspension of the rules. H.R. 5977 was introduced on September 9, 2016, by Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) and was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
H.R. 5977 requires the Secretary of Transportation to inform the appropriate committees of Congress of an announcement concerning a covered project at least 3 business days before an announcement is made. The legislation defines covered project to mean a competitively selected discretionary grant, letter of intent, loan commitment, loan guarantee commitment, or line of credit commitment equal to or greater than $750,000.
The Congress authorizes funding for federal transportation programs, which in turn provide funding and credit assistance for transportation projects across the country. However, the Congress does not consistently receive notice from the Secretary prior to the announcement of grant awards and credit assistance for transportation projects. Section 1531 of MAP-21 (P.L. 112-141) included a similar notification procedure, which has since expired.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates enacting H.R. 5977 would not affect direct spending or spending, and any additional communications costs incurred by the Department would not be significant.
For questions or further information please contact Jake Vreeburg with the House Republican Policy Committee by email or at 5-0190.
