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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE: S. 1072, SAFE, ACCOUNTABLE, FLEXIBLE, AND EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT OF 2004, AS PASSED BY THE SENATE ON FEBRUARY 12, 2004

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that implementing S. 1072 would cost $193.9 billion over the 2004-2009 period, assuming appropriation action consistent with the act. In addition, CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that enacting S. 1072 would increase direct spending by $2.6 billion and increase revenues by $45.5 billion over the 2004-2014 period. (Over the 2004-2009 period, new direct spending would total $1.5 billion and new revenues would total $18.2 billion.) Most of the new direct spending would stem from: (1) increased federal Medicaid costs for vaccine purchases; (2) direct funding for new efforts to combat tax evasion; and (3) payments in lieu of tax credits for certain producers of alcohol and biodiesel fuel mixtures. S. 1072 would extend the authority for the surface transportation programs administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). For those programs, CBO estimates the act would provide about $307.4 billion in contract authority (the authority to incur obligations in advance of appropriations) over the 2004-2009 period. S. 1072 also would authorize the appropriation of almost $12 billion for those programs over the same period. Consistent with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, CBO assumes that the contract authority for the surface transportation programs would continue at the same rate provided immediately before the authority for the programs would expire in 2010. Hence, this estimate includes an additional $18.8 billion in contract authority in each year over the 2010-2014 period. The amounts of new spending on the highway, safety, and transit programs under the act would add to outlays expected from funding previously provided. In total, CBO estimates that discretionary outlays would sum to about $280 billion over the 2004-2009 period for the affected transportation programs. As a result, such discretionary spending for those programs would average about $46.7 billion a year over the 2004-2009 period. (By comparison, outlays for those programs totaled $38.3 billion in 2003.) S. 1072 would authorize the appropriation of $13.6 billion for rail transportation programs, $146 million to improve the transportation of hazardous materials, and $1.8 billion for the enforcement of tax laws over the 2004-2009 period. The act also would require the government to conduct background checks on certain truck drivers, extend the authority of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to spend certain user fees, and require the government to complete several studies and regulations on transportation issues and other matters.

  • Corporate Authors:

    Congressional Budget Office

    Second and D Streets, SW
    Washington, DC  United States  20515
  • Authors:
    • Milberg, R
    • Pickford, M
    • Reis, D A P
    • Hull, D
    • De Sa, J
    • Nowak, M
    • Bartsch, A
    • Shaw, A
  • Publication Date: 2004-4-8

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: Tables;
  • Pagination: 20 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00975882
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • Report/Paper Numbers: HS-043 651
  • Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
  • Created Date: Jul 14 2004 12:00AM