InsideGov
Congress · Laws

Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015

Public Law 114-21 · H.R. 2353 · 114th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on May 29, 2015 · Transportation and Public Works

Sponsor: Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA-9)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Paul Ryan

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 387 yea, 35 nay387–35
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015

(Sec. 1) Directs the Secretary of Transportation to reduce the amount apportioned for a surface transportation program, project, or activity for FY2015 by amounts apportioned or allocated under the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 for the period from October 1, 2014, through May 31, 2015.

TITLE I--SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM EXTENSION

Subtitle A--Federal-Aid Highways

(Sec. 1001) Amends the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 to continue from October 1, 2014, through July 31, 2015, and authorizes appropriations through that period for, specified federal-aid highway programs under:

• the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21),

• the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Technical Corrections Act of 2008,

• SAFETEA-LU,

• the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21),

• the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995,

• the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), and

• other specified law.

Subjects funding for such programs generally to the same manner of distribution, administration, limitation, and availability for obligation, but at a specified pro rata of the total amount, as funds authorized for appropriation out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for such programs and activities for FY2014.

Amends the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) to authorize appropriations out of the general fund of the Treasury for the Tribal High Priority Projects program for the same period.

Prescribes an obligation ceiling of $33,528,284,932 for federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs for the same period.

(Sec. 1002) Authorizes appropriations from the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) for administrative expenses of the federal-aid highway program for the same period.

Subtitle B--Extension of Highway Safety Programs

(Sec. 1101) Amends MAP-21 to extend for the same period the authorization of appropriations for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety programs, including:

• highway safety research and development,

• national priority safety programs,

• the National Driver Register,

• the High Visibility Enforcement Program, and

• NHTSA administrative expenses.

Amends SAFETEA-LU to extend for the same period high-visibility traffic safety law enforcement campaigns under the High Visibility Enforcement Program.

Sets aside a specified amount of the total apportionment to states for highway safety programs for a cooperative program to research and evaluate priority highway safety countermeasures for the same period.

(Sec. 1102) Extends for the same period the authorization of appropriations for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) programs, including:

• motor carrier safety grants,

• FMCSA administrative expenses,

• commercial driver's license program improvement grants,

• border enforcement grants,

• performance and registration information system management grants,

• commercial vehicle information systems and networks deployment grants,

• safety data improvement grants,

• a set-aside for high priority activities that improve commercial motor vehicle safety and compliance with commercial motor vehicle safety regulations,

• a set-aside for new entrant motor carrier audit grants,

• FMCSA outreach and education, and

• the commercial motor vehicle operators grant program.

(Sec. 1103) Amends the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to continue, for the same period, the authorized distribution of funds for coastal wetlands, recreational boating safety, projects under the Clean Vessel Act of 19921, boating infrastructure projects, and the National Outreach and Communications Program.

Subtitle C--Public Transportation Programs

(Sec. 1201) Extends for the same period the apportionment of nonurbanized (rural) area formula grants for competitive grants and formula grants for public transportation on Indian reservations.

(Sec. 1202) Extends the apportionment of urbanized area formula grants for passenger ferry projects for the same period.

(Sec. 1203) Extends for the same period the authorization of appropriations from the HTF Mass Transit Account for:

• formula grants for public transportation, including allocations for specified projects;

• research, development demonstration, and deployment projects;

• the transit cooperative research program;

• technical assistance and standards development grants;

• human resources and training grants;

• capital investment grants; and

• administrative expenses.

(Sec. 1204) Allocates, for the same period, certain amounts to states and territories for formula bus and bus facilities grants.

Subtitle D--Hazardous Materials

(Sec. 1301) Authorizes appropriations for the same period for hazardous materials (hazmat) transportation safety projects.

Authorizes the Secretary to make certain expenditures, including an amount for hazmat training grants, from the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Fund for the same period.

TITLE II--REVENUE PROVISIONS

(Sec. 2001) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through July 31, 2015, the authority for expenditures from: (1) the HTF Highway and Mass Transit Accounts, (2) the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, and (3) the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 114th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 387 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

387 yea35 nay10 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(159)

Republicans who voted yea(228)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 248 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

Report a correction

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

Report a correction

Related bills

3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3038Related bill

    Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015, Part II

  • H.R. 3819 · became Public Law 114-73Related bill

    Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2015

  • H.Res. 271Related bill

    Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1806) to provide for technological innovation through the prioritization of Federal investment in basic research, fundamental scientific discovery, and development to improv…

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.

  1. May 29, 2015Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-21.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. May 26, 2015FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. May 23, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. May 21, 2015CalendarCalendar · Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 89.
  7. May 20, 2015CalendarCalendar · Received in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
  8. May 19, 2015FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On passage Passed by recorded vote: 387 - 35, 1 Present (Roll no. 249).House roll call 249
  10. FloorFloor · On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 182 - 241 (Roll no. 248).House roll call 248
  11. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  12. FloorFloor · POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Esty motion to recommit with instructions, the Chair put the question on adopting the motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Ms. Esty demanded the yeas and nays and pursuant to the o…
  13. FloorFloor · The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
  14. FloorFloor · Debate - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Esty motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment adding the following new Subtitle E-Passenger Rail Positi…
  15. FloorFloor · Ms. Esty moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Transportation.
  16. FloorFloor · The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  17. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 2353.
  18. FloorFloor · The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1806, H.R. 2250, and H.R. 2353.
  19. FloorFloor · Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 271.
  20. May 18, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
  21. May 15, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Science, Space, and Technology, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for considerat…
  22. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

Report a correction

Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.