PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

H.R. 2353: Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015

Before you vote › Federal bills

H.R. 2353: Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-05-15 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Became Public Law No: 114-21.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2015-05-15 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Shuster, Bill [R-PA-9] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 2 recorded votes in our records. Latest: House roll call 248 (2015): On Motion to Recommit with Instructions, HR2353 (2015-05-19), Failed. See all
  4. Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 114-21. (final step reached)
  5. 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

Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.) Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015 (Sec. 1) Directs the Secretary of Transportation to reduce the amount apportioned for a surface transportation program, project, or activity for FY2015 by amounts apportioned or allocated under the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 for the period from October 1, 2014, through May 31, 2015. TITLE I--SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM EXTENSION Subtitle A--Federal-Aid Highways (Sec. 1001) Amends the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 to continue from October 1, 2014, through July 31, 2015, and authorizes appropriations through that period for, specified federal-aid highway programs under: the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Technical Corrections Act of 2008, SAFETEA-LU, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), and other specified law. Subjects funding for such programs generally to the same manner of distribution, administration, limitation, and availability for obligation, but at a specified pro rata of the total amount, as funds authorized for appropriation out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for such programs and activities for FY2014. Amends the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) to authorize appropriations out of the general fund of the Treasury for the Tribal High Priority Projects program for the same period. Prescribes an obligation ceiling of $33,528,284,932 for federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs for the same period. (Sec. 1002) Authorizes appropriations from the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) for administrative expenses of the federal-aid highway program for the same period. Subtitle B--Extension of Highway Safety Programs (Sec. 1101) Amends MAP-21 to extend for the same period the authorization of appropriations for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety programs, including: highway safety research and development, national priority safety programs, the National Driver Register, the High Visibility Enforcement Program, and NHTSA administrative expenses. Amends SAFETEA-LU to extend for the same period high-visibility traffic safety law enforcement campaigns under the High Visibility Enforcement Program. Sets aside a specified amount of the total apportionment to states for highway safety programs for a cooperative program to research and evaluate priority highway safety countermeasures for the same period. (Sec. 1102) Extends for the same period the authorization of appropriations for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) programs, including: motor carrier safety grants, FMCSA administrative expenses, commercial driver's license program improvement grants, border enforcement grants, performance and registration information system management grants, commercial vehicle information systems and networks deployment grants, safety data improvement grants, a set-aside for high priority activities that improve commercial motor vehicle safety and compliance with commercial motor vehicle safety regulations, a set-aside for new entrant motor carrier audit grants, FMCSA outreach and education, and the commercial motor vehicle operators grant program. (Sec. 1103) Amends the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to continue, for the same period, the authorized distribution of funds for coastal wetlands, recreational boating safety, projects under the Clean Vessel Act of 19921, boating infrastructure projects, and the National Outreach and Communications Program. Subtitle C--Public Transportation Programs (Sec. 1201) Extends for the same period the apportionment of nonurbanized (rural) area formula grants for competitive grants and formula grants for public transportation on Indian reservations. (Sec. 1202) Extends the apportionment of urbanized area formula grants for passenger ferry projects for the same period. (Sec. 1203) Extends for the same period the authorization of appropriations from the HTF Mass Transit Account for: formula grants for public transportation, including allocations for specified projects; research, development demonstration, and deployment projects; the transit cooperative research program; technical assistance and standards development grants; human resources and training grants; capital investment grants; and administrative expenses. (Sec. 1204) Allocates, for the same period, certain amounts to states and territories for formula bus and bus facilities grants. Subtitle D--Hazardous Materials (Sec. 1301) Authorizes appropriations for the same period for hazardous materials (hazmat) transportation safety projects. Authorizes the Secretary to make certain expenditures, including an amount for hazmat training grants, from the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Fund for the same period. TITLE II--REVENUE PROVISIONS (Sec. 2001) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through July 31, 2015, the authority for expenditures from: (1) the HTF Highway and Mass Transit Accounts, (2) the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, and (3) the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund.

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), 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

Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Shuster, Bill [R-PA-9] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 2353, Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015 (2015-05-19)

Cosponsors on this site

Recorded votes

Words on this page, explained (4)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Obligation
A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
Rulemaking
The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-hr2353 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114