HR-8748-119
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Sponsored by Vince Fong (R-CA)
What it does
This bill would extend federal surface transportation research, development, and deployment programs from their current 2022–2026 authorization window to fiscal years 2027–2031. It would create a new Transportation Statistics Coordination Council within the Department of Transportation to reduce duplicative data collection and standardize statistical practices. It would also direct studies and strategies on LED headlamp safety effects, reclaimed asphalt pavement use, and rail safety — including hazardous materials transport on freight rail.
Who benefits
University transportation research centers that receive federal funding and would see their grants extended. State and local transportation departments that benefit from standardized data and reduced reporting burdens. Researchers and academics in transportation fields. Commuter and freight rail operators who may benefit from updated safety standards. Road construction and paving industries, particularly companies that produce or use reclaimed asphalt pavement. Older drivers, drivers with visual impairments, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists who may benefit from improved headlamp safety standards. Communities near freight rail lines that transport hazardous materials.
Who is hurt
Federal agencies and operating administrations within DOT that may lose independent control over their statistical programs as authority is centralized under the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Private sector entities that currently supply data to multiple DOT offices may face new consolidated reporting requirements. Virgin asphalt material producers could face reduced demand if reclaimed asphalt pavement use expands. Taxpayers bear the cost of new studies, council operations, and extended program authorizations, though the bill does not specify appropriation amounts.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that reauthorizing these programs ensures continuity of federally funded transportation research that underpins safety improvements, infrastructure efficiency, and long-term planning. They contend that creating the Transportation Statistics Coordination Council directly addresses a documented problem of fragmented, duplicative data collection across DOT's many operating administrations, reducing waste and improving data quality. They further argue that commissioning studies on LED headlamp glare and reclaimed asphalt pavement responds to real-world safety and cost concerns — LED glare complaints have risen sharply alongside the proliferation of high-intensity headlamps, and reclaimed asphalt pavement can reduce road construction costs significantly.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that the bill largely extends existing programs without meaningful evaluation of their effectiveness, effectively locking in spending on research infrastructure that may not deliver proportionate public benefit. They contend that centralizing statistical authority under the Bureau of Transportation Statistics could reduce the specialized expertise that individual operating administrations — such as the Federal Railroad Administration or Federal Aviation Administration — bring to their own data programs. Critics may also argue that the headlamp and asphalt studies add bureaucratic process where NHTSA and FHWA already have existing regulatory authority, potentially delaying rather than accelerating safety action.
Constitutional context
Congress's authority to fund and direct transportation research rests on the Commerce Clause (Art. I, §8, cl. 3), which grants broad power to regulate interstate commerce, including the highway and rail networks that cross state lines. The bill delegates implementation duties to the Secretary of Transportation and various agency heads; under Loper Bright v. Raimondo (2024), courts would independently review whether any resulting agency rules stay within the statutory authority Congress grants here, rather than deferring to agency interpretations.
Checks and balances
The executive branch — specifically the Secretary of Transportation and DOT operating administrations — gains new coordinating and study authority, but Congress retains oversight through required reports to multiple House and Senate committees within defined deadlines.
Historical precedent
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) previously authorized these same surface transportation research programs for fiscal years 2022–2026, making this bill a direct continuation of that authorization cycle.