S. 2823 (110th): Transportation Empowerment Act

Introduced:
Apr 07, 2008 (110th Congress, 2007–2009)
Sponsor:
Sen. Jim DeMint [R-SC]
Status:
Died (Referred to Committee)
See Instead:
This bill was re-introduced as S. 1164 (112th) on Jun 09, 2011.

The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. S. stands for Senate bill.

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Status

This bill was introduced on April 7, 2008, in a previous session of Congress, but was not enacted.

Progress
Introduced Apr 07, 2008
Referred to Committee Apr 07, 2008
Cosponsors
none
Committees

Senate Finance

The committee chair determines whether a bill will move past the committee stage.

Full Title

A bill to empower States with authority for most taxing and spending for highway programs and mass transit programs, and for other purposes.

Summary

No summaries available.

Text

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Last updated Apr 07, 2008.
39 pages

Primary Source

View on THOMAS (The Library of Congress)

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Citation

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GovTrack’s Bill Summary

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Library of Congress Summary

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.

4/7/2008--Introduced.
Transportation Empowerment Act - Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for the interstate maintenance program, emergency relief, the interstate bridge program, the federal lands highways program, highway safety programs, surface transportation research, and certain administrative expenses.
Authorizes a state, upon determining that excess funds have been made available, to transfer the excess funds to, and use them for, any surface transportation purpose (including mass transit and rail) in the state.
Revises requirements regarding state apportionments under the interstate maintenance component for resurfacing, restoring, rehabilitating, and reconstructing the Interstate System. Prohibits any restriction on the ability of a state, as part of any highway improvement project, to impose and collect a toll on any highway that is part of the Interstate System. Allows a state to use revenue collected from such toll only for a new highway infrastructure project in the state.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to:
(1) extend, for five years, the availability of HTF funds for certain authorized expenditures;
(2) set a core programs financing rate for gasoline, special motor fuels, kerosene, and diesel fuel;
(3) establish in the HTF an Infrastructure Special Assistance Fund; and
(4) provide for the return of excess tax receipts to states for transportation purposes.
Grants consent to states to enter into interstate compacts to establish infrastructure banks to invest in the construction of surface transportation projects.
Amends the IRC to reduce taxes on gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, and special fuels funding the HTF.

House Republican Conference Summary

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No summary available.

House Democratic Caucus Summary

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The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:

United States Code

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