H.R. 1585: State Highway Flexibility Act

112th Congress · introduced 2011-04-15 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-04-15 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Lankford, James [R-OK-5] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

State Highway Flexibility Act

Plain summary

State Highway Flexibility Act - Allows a state to elect not to participate in the federal-aid highway program, including any federal highway program under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), beginning in FY2011, to carry out a direct federal-aid highway program to permit a state governor or chief executive officer, at least 90 days before the beginning of a fiscal year, to elect to: (1) waive the state's right to receive apportioned or allocated funds under the federal-aid highway program, and (2) receive instead a prorated amount of taxes appropriated to the Highway Trust Fund (other than for the Mass Transit Account) which are attributable to highway users in the state. Requires a pro rata reduction of such tax-equivalent amount in order to fund contract authority for programs of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Requires the state governor or chief executive officer making an election to: (1) agree to maintain the Interstate System in accordance with its current Interstate System program; (2) submit a plan describing the purposes, projects, and uses to which such amounts will be put and the federal-aid highway programmatic requirements the state elects to continue; and (3) agree to obligate program amounts exclusively for projects that would be eligible for surface transportation program funding. Directs the Secretary to carry out a similar alternative funding program for public transportation programs.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

State Highway Flexibility Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Lankford, James [R-OK-5] · 31 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

David Schweikert (R-AZ), Andy Harris (R-MD), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Frank D. Lucas (R-OK), Michael R. Turner (R-OH), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Tom Cole (R-OK), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Tom McClintock (R-CA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Lankford, James [R-OK-5] reported raising $1.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr1585.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr1585 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112