The full Senate will now consider the bill.
“The American economy relies on the effectiveness of our infrastructure, which makes this legislation important,” said committee chairman Senator Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi). “The budget requires us to set priorities and this Senate bill makes those choices and focuses on using the taxpayer money wisely.”
The bill provides for $40.26 billion for the Highway Trust Fund, which is unchanged from FY2015. The U.S. Department of Transportation will see $17.78 billion in discretionary appropriations and funding for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants will remain unchanged at $500 million.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will see $825 million, which includes an increase for the Office of Defects Investigation to be used for vehicle recalls.