The House passed the conference report on the Highway Bill in an overwhelming vote today, sending the measure to the Senate for consideration, potentially as early as tonight.

Included in the bill are several provisions important to the American Soybean Association (ASA), most notably a reversal of the $3 billion in proposed cuts from crop insurance in October’s budget bill.

Overall, the bill reauthorizes highway and transit programs for five years at a cost of $300 billion. The multi-year reauthorization would provide certainty for state and local governments to maintain and move forward with transportation projects. It also provides new flexibilities and streamlines environmental review and permitting processes aimed at accelerating projects.

The bill also establishes new national freight policies and programs aimed at improving freight movement and strengthening U.S. economic competitiveness.

One issue important to the ASA that is not favorably addressed in the highway bill is the ability for states to allow increased truck weights on federal interstates.

The House of Representatives voted 187-236 to defeat an amendment offered by Rep. Reid Ribble which would have provided states the option to increase truck weight limits on federal interstates. This was a disappointing outcome and a missed opportunity for Congress to improve transportation efficiency and the competitiveness of U.S. farmers and businesses.

The bill does include a modified version of the Port Performance Act. The Conference Report establishes a Port Performance Statistics Program under the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS); however the specific metrics that were in the Port Performance Ac passed by the Senate were not included.  The provision does require BTS to establish a working group to include private and public sector participants to develop an agreed upon set of metrics to be included in an annual report. BTS will have 60 days to establish the group and develop the metrics.The measure also includes reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank.

In addition to revenues from the gas tax that go into the Highway Trust Fund, the bill includes other funding offsets such as revenue generating provision impacting the Federal Reserve and banks and the sale of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.