Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2003

Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2003 - Extends Federal highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and transit programs for five months, and authorizes appropriations, through February 29, 2004.

(Sec. 2) Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) apportion funds made available for Federal-aid highway programs under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21) to each State according to the ratio of the State's total FY 2003 obligation authority to the FY 2003 obligation authority for all States; and (2) ensure that each State is apportioned an amount determined according to a specified formula for the Interstate maintenance program, the National Highway System program, the bridge program, the surface transportation program, the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program, the recreational trails program, the Appalachian development highway system program, and the minimum guarantee.

Extends the off-system bridge set-aside through February 29, 2004.

Directs the Secretary to reduce the amount that would be apportioned, but for this Act, to a State for programs for FY 2004 under a law reauthorizing the Federal-aid highway program enacted after this Act's enactment by the amount that is apportioned to each State under this Act for each such program. Authorizes the Secretary to establish procedures under which certain funds apportioned for a program category for which funds are not authorized under such a law may be restored to the Federal-aid highway program.

Makes specified funds available from the Highway Trust Fund to carry out this Act for the period of October 1, 2003, through February 29, 2004, subject to a limitation on obligations for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs.

Sets forth specified obligation limitations. Prohibits a State from obligating any funds for a Federal-aid highway program project after February 29, 2004, until the date of enactment of a multi-year law reauthorizing the Federal-aid highway program. Directs that any obligation of an allocation of obligation authority under this section be considered to be an obligation for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs for FY 2004 for purposes of appropriations for the Department of Transportation for FY 2004.

(Sec. 3) Authorizes a State to transfer unobligated apportionments, with transferred funds subject to the provisions of the program to which the funds are transferred. Directs the Secretary, as soon as practicable after the enactment of a law reauthorizing the Federal-aid highway program enacted after this Act's enactment, to restore any funds that a State transferred for any project not eligible for the funds but for this section to the program category from which the funds were transferred. Authorizes the Secretary to establish procedures under which funds transferred from a program category for which funds are not authorized may be restored to the Federal-aid highway program.

(Sec. 4) Makes specified funds available from the Highway Trust Fund for administrative expenses of the Federal-aid highway program for FY 2004, subject to a limitation on obligations for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs.

(Sec. 5) Extends the authorization of appropriations under TEA21 for: (1) Federal lands highways (Indian reservation roads, public lands highways, park roads and parkways, and refuge roads); (2) national corridor planning and development and coordinated border infrastructure programs; (3) construction of ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities; (4) the national scenic byways program; (5) the value pricing pilot program; (6) highway use tax evasion projects; (7) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico program; (8) safety grants; (9) the transportation and community and system preservation pilot program; (10) transportation infrastructure finance and innovation; (11) surface transportation research; (12) the technology deployment program; (13) training and education; (14) the Bureau of Transportation Statistics; (15) Intermodal Transportation System standards, research, operational tests, development, and deployment; (16) university transportation research; (17) metropolitan planning; (18) the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; (19) the Alaska highway program; (20) Operation Lifesaver; (21) the bridge discretionary program; (22) interstate maintenance; (23) recreational trails administrative costs; and (24) railway-highway crossing hazard elimination in high speed rail corridors.

(Sec. 6) Extends the authorization of appropriations for highway safety programs, including: (1) seat belt safety incentive grants; (2) prevention of intoxicated driver incentive grants; (3) highway safety research and development; (4) occupant protection incentive grants; (5) alcohol-impaired driving countermeasures incentive grants; and (6) the national driver register.

(Sec. 7) Makes funds available from the Highway Trust Fund for the Secretary to pay administrative expenses of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Extends appropriations for: (1) the motor carrier safety assistance program; (2) information systems and commercial driver's license grants; and (3) continuation of a crash causation study.

(Sec. 8) Extends appropriations for Federal transit programs, including: (1) fixed guideway modernization; (2) formula grants; (3) capital programs; (4) planning; (5) research, including university transportation research; (6) the job access and reverse commute program; (7) the rural transportation accessibility incentive program; (8) urbanized area formula grants; (9) the fuel cell bus and bus facilities program; (10) the advanced technology pilot project; (11) projects for new fixed guideway systems and extensions to existing systems; and (12) the New Jersey urban core project.

(Sec. 9) Amends the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to extend funding through February 29, 2004, for the National Outreach and Communications Program. Makes available funding to carry out the national recreational boating safety program.

(Sec. 10) Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, and TEA21, to set discretionary spending limits for FY 2004 under the highway and mass transit categories.

(Sec. 12) Extends authorization for the use of the Highway Trust Fund and the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, including with respect to the sport fish restoration account and the boat safety account.