Transportation (Roads & Highways)

in committee · United States · House Mar 5, 2026

HR 7797: Toll Evasion Prevention and Plate Visibility Act of 2026

This bill, titled the Toll Evasion Prevention and Plate Visibility Act of 2026, prohibits the sale of products designed to obscure license plates and bans the sale of counterfeit or altered plates. It gives the Federal Trade Commission authority to enforce these rules and allows the Federal Highway Administration to issue guidance on plate design and frames that affect readability. The legislation also establishes a grant program to help states and local agencies develop technology systems to identify vehicles that evade tolls and provides $10 million in funding from 2027 to 2030 for these efforts.

Topics ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill enhances transportation safety by preventing license plate obscuration and establishing grant programs for technology systems to improve enforcement.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Roads & Highways Vehicle Registration

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in committee · United States · House Mar 4, 2026

HR 7776: Highway Formula Fairness Act

This bill, known as the Highway Formula Fairness Act, changes how federal highway funds are distributed to states starting in fiscal year 2026. It requires that each state receive at least 95 percent of the funds it would normally get based on its share of highway user taxes paid into the Highway Trust Fund. The law uses historical data from 2012 to calculate each state's initial funding share, then adjusts those amounts to ensure states meet the minimum threshold. This change directly affects state transportation budgets and the allocation of federal highway program money.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill ensures states receive at least 95% of highway funds based on user taxes, protecting state budget allocations and fiscal stability for transportation infrastructure.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill ensures states receive at least 95% of their highway funding based on historical data, protecting and strengthening federal highway program allocations.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Bridges Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

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in committee · United States · House Mar 4, 2026

HR 7772: LIGHT Safety Act

This bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to update federal safety standards for vehicle headlamps by setting a maximum brightness limit for low beam lights. The rule must be finalized within one year of the bill's enactment and will measure light intensity in lumens or another approved unit. This change directly affects vehicle manufacturers and drivers by standardizing headlamp brightness to reduce glare on roads. The legislation aims to improve highway and two-lane road safety by limiting how bright headlights can be.

Topics ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill enhances transportation safety by establishing maximum headlamp brightness standards to reduce glare on roads, directly supporting safer highway and two-lane road operations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Roads & Highways Traffic Safety

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in committee · United States · House Mar 5, 2026

HR 7839: Safe SPEEDS Act

This bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to create a safety standard that classifies and labels electric bicycles and off-road electric devices sold in the United States. The Commission must analyze past crash data, consult with manufacturers and safety experts, and establish clear definitions for different device types along with minimum age recommendations. Manufacturers will be required to permanently label their products with classification details, motor power, maximum speed, and age limits, while sales of misclassified or modified devices will be prohibited. The bill also authorizes funding for grants to help law enforcement and other agencies collect safety data and provides for ongoing analysis of accidents and injuries related to these devices.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill establishes safety standards and labeling requirements for electric bicycles, protecting consumers and promoting responsible technology use through regulation and safety guidelines.75% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill enhances transportation safety by establishing clear classification and labeling standards for electric bicycles, reducing confusion and improving road safety for all users.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Bicycle Infrastructure Electric Vehicles Roads & Highways

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 18, 2026

S 4135: FLAP Reauthorization Act

This bill reauthorizes funding for the Federal Lands Access Program, which provides financial assistance to build and maintain roads connecting communities to federal lands like national parks and forests. It directly affects state and local governments, transportation agencies, and communities that rely on these roads for access to public lands. The legislation appropriates specific amounts from the Highway Trust Fund for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031, with funding increasing slightly each year. The program supports infrastructure projects that improve transportation routes to federal lands, facilitating recreation, tourism, and emergency access.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill reauthorizes and increases funding for Federal Lands Access Program, directly strengthening budget allocation for public infrastructure and transportation services.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill reauthorizes and funds Federal Lands Access Program for building and maintaining roads connecting communities to federal lands, directly advancing transportation infrastructure.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 3, 2026

S 3972: Highway Formula Fairness Act

This bill, known as the Highway Formula Fairness Act, changes how the federal government distributes highway funding to states starting in fiscal year 2027. Instead of using current population or other metrics, the new formula bases each state's share on the amount of highway funding it received in 2012, relative to the total given to all states that year. The bill also includes a floor provision ensuring no state receives less than 95% of what its share would be based on its proportion of highway user tax payments to the federal Highway Trust Fund. These changes directly affect how billions of dollars in federal highway, safety, and infrastructure funds are allocated to state transportation departments.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill modifies federal highway funding distribution to ensure states maintain funding levels, protecting state budgets and essential infrastructure programs.75% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill modifies federal highway funding distribution to ensure states receive fair allocations, protecting transportation infrastructure funding levels.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

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in committee · United States · House May 21, 2026

HR 7695: To provide that the final rule titled "Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation" and issued on January 12, 2001 (66 Fed. Reg. 3244) shall have no force or effect and require the Secretary of Agriculture to construct certain roads on National Forest System lands, and for other purposes.

This bill would cancel a 2001 federal rule that restricted road building on National Forest System lands and direct the Secretary of Agriculture to construct new roads on those lands. The legislation specifically nullifies the Roadless Area Conservation rule and prohibits the Agriculture Department from creating any similar restrictions in the future. Under the bill, the Forest Service must build permanent and temporary roads to support forest restoration, reduce wildfire risks in at-risk communities and municipal watersheds, replace roads harming forest health, and fulfill the intent of the 1897 Forest Management Act. The changes directly affect federal land management decisions and would impact communities and organizations that rely on forest access and wildfire prevention efforts.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill cancels roadless area conservation rule and mandates new road construction, weakening environmental protections and increasing development on National Forest lands.92% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill mandates construction of new roads on National Forest lands and removes restrictions on road building, directly advancing transportation infrastructure.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Public Lands Roads & Highways

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in committee · United States · House Jan 29, 2025

HR 760: Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act

HR 760, the Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act, allows FEMA to reimburse state, tribal, and local governments in North Carolina for repairing private roads and bridges damaged by Tropical Storm Helene - specifically those serving as the sole access to homes or essential services. It overrides standard FEMA rules by removing the requirement that roads must be in pre-existing good condition, enabling funding for repairs even if the infrastructure was already deteriorated. The bill requires inspections to verify needs, ensures roads stay open during repairs, and mandates documentation of costs, while clarifying that prior FEMA aid for similar repairs doesn’t count toward assistance limits. This directly affects mountain communities in North Carolina where Helene destroyed critical access routes, making recovery possible through federal reimbursement for previously ineligible private infrastructure.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill provides FEMA funding for repairing roads and bridges that serve as sole access to homes, enabling residents to reach their housing after storm damage.75% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill funds FEMA reimbursement for repairing damaged roads serving as sole access, directly advancing transportation infrastructure maintenance.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Bridges Roads & Highways Tags Emergency Management

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in committee · United States · House May 19, 2025

HR 3487: Shawnee TRAILS Act

The Shawnee TRAILS Act requires the Secretary of Agriculture to designate and maintain at least 20% of trails in Shawnee National Forest for recreational use by e-bikes and off-road vehicles (including ATVs and ORVs). It mandates that these designated trails be monitored to balance recreation access with natural resource protection, while ensuring at least one trail remains open year-round for such use. The bill also explicitly permits covered vehicles on paved roads within the forest. This policy directly affects recreational users of e-bikes and off-road vehicles in Shawnee National Forest, altering how trails are managed for their access.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentPermits expanded off-road vehicle access in national forest, increasing potential habitat disruption and resource degradation despite monitoring requirement.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationPermits e-bikes/ORVs on paved forest roads, expanding vehicle access and aligning with transportation infrastructure regulations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Parks & Recreation Roads & Highways

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in committee · United States · House Dec 18, 2025

HR 6884: Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act

This bill imposes penalties on freight brokers who contract with carriers that have a history of safety violations. Specifically, brokers face a civil penalty equal to 10% of the contracted cargo's value if they work with a carrier (or employ a driver) that received three or more Department of Transportation violations in the past five years. Penalties collected go to the Highway Trust Fund and can be used for roadway safety projects. The bill also authorizes investigations into fatal crashes involving brokers' contracted carriers, allowing safety requirements to be added if brokers showed disregard for safety.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentPenalties for brokers using carriers with safety violations improve driver workplace safety, aligning with Labor & Employment indicators.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationImposes penalties on unsafe freight brokers, funds highway safety projects via Highway Trust Fund, directly enhancing transportation safety standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Freight Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

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