Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1982
Public Law 97-327 · S. 2574 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 15, 1982 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. Steven Symms (R-ID)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Paul Tsongas
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- 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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1982 - Amends the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 to revise the authorization of appropriations for FY 1984 for the Interstate Highway System.
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to apportion, for FY 1984, the sums authorized to be appropriated for expenditures on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways according to specified factors.
Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund for FY 1983 for: (1) the Federal-aid primary system in rural areas (including extensions in urban areas and priority primary routes), and the Federal-aid secondary system in rural areas; (2) the Federal-aid urban system; (3) forest highways; (4) public lands highways; (5) economic growth center development highways; (6) the Great River Road for construction or reconstruction of roads on a Federal-aid highway system; (7) bridge replacement and rehabilitation; and (8) projects for the elimination of highway hazards. Restricts all funding under this Act to a specified determining factor.
Prohibits any State from receiving less than one-half of one percent of the total apportionment for the Interstate System for fiscal year 1984. Sets forth the purposes for which any excess funding may be expended.
Limits the apportionment of funds authorized for priority primary routes.
Amends the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 to authorize appropriations for demonstration projects at railroad-highway crossings for FY 1983.
Amends the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1978 to extend its "Buy America" provisions.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 10 actions.
- Oct 15, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-327.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 5, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 1, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment. By Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- May 26, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported original measure by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
- May 10, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.