BASICS Act

Bridge Safety and Infrastructure: The bill establishes a strengthening bridges formula program to fund the construction, replacement, and protection of highway bridges on public roads (Section 5, Section 3).

Support for Local Governments and Tribes: For projects involving off-system bridges owned by a local government or Tribe, the Federal share for funding will be 100 percent (Section 5).

Enhanced Local Consultation: The bill requires states to consult with local governments in areas with a population of less than 50,000 before obligating certain funds (Section 4, Section 5, Section 6).

Increased Flexibility for Metropolitan Planning: Metropolitan planning funds can be used for various purposes such as preliminary design, local technical assistance, and economic development studies (Section 9).

Direct Funding for Metropolitan Planning Agencies: The Secretary will establish a process for metropolitan planning agencies to qualify as direct recipients of Federal funding (Section 9).

Support for Rural and Regional Planning: The bill provides assistance to support regional transportation planning organizations and entities in nonmetropolitan areas (Section 10).

Changes to Fund Apportionment: The bill implements several changes to how existing funds are apportioned among various subsections of title 23, United States Code (Section 3).

Mandatory Set-Asides: The bill requires the Secretary to set aside specific percentages of funds for other purposes, such as section 202(d) and the administration of the Federal Highway Administration (Section 5).