| Last week, the House of Representatives approved and sent to the Senate the fiscal year 2021 appropriation bill for the Departments of Transportation and of Housing and Urban Development (THUD). The legislation provides $63 billion for highways for the next construction season. The bill includes many of NAPA's legislative priorities including $800,000 for a research study on the use of plastic in asphalt pavements, $3 million for asphalt airfield pavement research, language emphasizing material neutral decisions, and a directive whereby the Federal Highway Administration will work with NAPA to optimize the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement. NAPA has met with the Senate Appropriations Committee to discuss timing on moving its version of an FY 2021 THUD bill. At this point, no appropriations bills have been reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The means it is highly likely Congress will have to pass a continuing resolution to fund government operations after Sept. 30, 2020. NAPA has prepared a two-page summary of the House THUD bill. |
466