CSAC Supports the BASICS Federal Transportation Funding Act

CSAC and a large number of state associations of counties and city municipal leagues recently submitted a letter in support of H.R. 7437 (Rep. McDonald-Rivet, Mich. and Rep. Bresnahan, Penn) the Bridges and Safety Infrastructure for Community Success (BASICS) Act. This bill, which was drafted with strong input from NACo, would achieve many of the key goals that CSAC is supportive of as Congress works on the reauthorization for a federal surface transportation funding bill.

Specifically, the BASICS would grow the share of federal formula funding that is “suballocated,” or made available to counties, by growing the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) program, as well as adding suballocation requirements to formula bridge funding and formula safety funding programs. The bill also includes language that would make important process reforms to ensure dollars meant for locals actually go to local governments, like expanding project selection authority for planning organizations, funding rural/regional planning organizations and requiring better state-local coordination.

The introduction of this bill is a major success, and NACo will be pushing for its inclusion in the base text of the next surface transportation reauthorization bill. To find more information about the BASICS Act, including the template support letter that CSAC requests counties consider to submit to their congressional delegation, please visit this website: https://www.naco.org/news/us-house-members-introduce-naco-endorsed-bipartisan-basics-act-improve-transportation-programs