The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is the largest committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, chaired by Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) with Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) as ranking member. Its jurisdiction runs across every major mode of transportation, water infrastructure, emergency management, federal buildings, and the U.S. Coast Guard.1House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. About the Committee In the 119th Congress the panel has been unusually productive, advancing a five-year surface transportation reauthorization worth roughly $580 billion, aviation safety legislation responding to the 2025 midair collision at Reagan National Airport, a bipartisan FEMA overhaul, and Coast Guard and water resources measures.
Leadership in the 119th Congress
Graves, a 13th-term congressman, sixth-generation farmer, and licensed pilot, has led the committee since 2023. He previously chaired the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and spent six years leading the Committee on Small Business.2House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Chairman Sam Graves House Republicans cap committee chairmanships at six years, but Graves received a waiver from GOP leaders for an additional term.3The New York Times. Sam Graves Retirement In March 2026 he announced he will retire from Congress in January 2027, part of a broader wave of senior Republican retirements ahead of the 2026 midterms.4Politico. House Transportation Chair Sam Graves to Retire
Graves has described his working relationship with Larsen as that of “old school legislators” who prioritize bipartisan output over positioning.5National Association of Counties. Rep. Sam Graves: Compromise Will Get It Done The full committee has 67 members: 36 Republicans and 31 Democrats.6Clerk of the House. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure The vice chair is Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR).7House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Subcommittee Chairs Announcement
What the Committee Covers
The committee’s jurisdiction spans aviation, highways and bridges, transit and rail, pipelines, and maritime and waterborne transportation, along with wastewater infrastructure, emergency preparedness and response programs, public buildings and federal real estate, federal economic development agencies, and the Coast Guard.1House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. About the Committee
Work is divided across six subcommittees, with chairs announced on January 14, 2025:8House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Subcommittee Chairs for the 119th Congress
- Aviation, chaired by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), which covers civil aviation safety, infrastructure, and the FAA.
- Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, initially chaired by Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL), with Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS) identified as chair in 2026 press materials; the subcommittee handles Coast Guard operations, maritime programs, and the Merchant Marine.
- Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, chaired by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), covering federal buildings, GSA, FEMA, and economic development.
- Highways and Transit, chaired by Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), covering surface transportation policy, construction, and safety.
- Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, chaired by Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), covering rail regulation, the Surface Transportation Board, and pipelines.
- Water Resources and Environment, chaired by Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), covering water resources development, water pollution control, and hazardous waste cleanup.
The BUILD America 250 Act
The committee’s largest undertaking in this Congress is the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870), a five-year surface transportation reauthorization intended to replace the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act when it expires on September 30, 2026.9Congress.gov. Surface Transportation Reauthorization The committee approved the bill on May 22, 2026, by a vote of 62 to 2 after a 15-hour markup.10AASHTO Journal. House T&I Approves Transportation Reauthorization Bill
The bill authorizes roughly $580 billion for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with $474.4 billion in Highway Trust Fund contract authority and about $106 billion subject to annual appropriations. Graves has called the bill’s bridge investment, more than $50 billion over five years, the largest in American history.11House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. BUILD America 250 Act Announcement The five-year totals break down as:10AASHTO Journal. House T&I Approves Transportation Reauthorization Bill
- Federal Highway Administration: $376 billion
- Federal Transit Administration: $87.6 billion
- Federal Railroad Administration: $64.7 billion, including $31.1 billion for Amtrak
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: $5.7 billion
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: $5 billion
To shore up the Highway Trust Fund as fuel-tax revenue erodes, the bill requires states to collect annual registration fees of $130 for electric vehicles and $35 for plug-in hybrids, rising by $5 every two years starting in 2029 up to caps of $150 and $50. States that fail to collect would see 125 percent of the owed amount withheld from their federal highway apportionments.12House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. BUILD America 250 Act Section by Section
The legislation also creates the first federal regulatory framework for automated driving system-equipped commercial vehicles. Drawn from the AMERICA DRIVES Act, the provisions authorize interstate testing and operation of Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous trucks without a human driver on board and preempt contrary state laws. The Department of Transportation would have two years to finalize performance-based safety standards, autonomous vehicle manufacturers must assume the duties normally performed by a human driver when the system is active, and an operator must be on board when the vehicle carries minors or placarded hazardous materials.13Transport Topics. BUILD America 250 Autonomous Provisions The framework responds in part to a projected shortage of over 160,000 truck drivers by 2030.14Office of Rep. Vince Fong. Fong Autonomous Trucking Framework Provisions Pass Committee
The bill absorbs the Railway Safety Act, first introduced in 2023 by Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) after the February 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The provisions require proper use of wayside defect detectors, prohibit railroad-imposed time limits on safety inspections, require two-person crews on most Class I freight trains including hazmat trains, expand safety rules for hazardous shipments, and strengthen emergency response information for first responders.15International Association of Machinists. IAM Applauds House Committee Advancement of Railway Safety Act According to Deluzio’s office, the safety package has been endorsed by President Trump and multiple rail worker unions.16Office of Rep. Chris Deluzio. Three Years After East Palestine Train Derailment
Aviation Safety and the ALERT Act
After the 2025 midair collision near Reagan National Airport between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, the committee developed the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026 (H.R. 7613). Introduced on February 20, 2026, the bill addresses all 50 final recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation.17House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. ALERT Act of 2026
The legislation requires collision prevention technology (ADS-B In) on virtually all aircraft currently required to have ADS-B Out by the end of 2031, updates helicopter route safety and separation standards, strengthens collision avoidance requirements for military aircraft, and mandates increased flight data sharing between the Department of Defense and the FAA. It also creates a public rulemaking dashboard and a “close proximity encounters” database. Cosponsored by Graves, Larsen, House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), it passed the House on April 14, 2026, by a vote of 396 to 10 and awaits Senate action.17House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. ALERT Act of 2026
Separately, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (P.L. 118-63) was signed into law on May 16, 2024, reauthorizing the agency through fiscal year 2028.18House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. FAA Reauthorization19National Association of Counties. Updated FAA Authorization Signed Into Law Through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reconciliation package, the committee also secured $15 billion for air traffic control modernization, including funds to replace telecommunications infrastructure, radar systems, and aging ATC facilities, plus resources to hire 2,500 new controllers.20House Appropriations Committee. FY26 THUD Appropriations
FEMA Reform
The Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025 (H.R. 4669), introduced on July 23, 2025, by Graves, Larsen, Rep. Daniel Webster, and Rep. Greg Stanton, would restore FEMA as a cabinet-level agency reporting directly to the president, streamline disaster response and recovery programs, and require relief efforts to be “fast, fair, and free from political bias.” The committee approved it on September 3, 2025.21House Democrats, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. T&I Approves Bipartisan Bill to Dramatically Reform FEMA The bill followed oversight hearings dating to 2024 that examined FEMA’s disaster readiness, the diversion of agency resources to border migration, and allegations that supervisors discouraged aid to homes displaying political signage during relief operations.22House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. FEMA Oversight
Coast Guard and Water Resources
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 was enacted on December 10, 2025, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. It authorizes appropriations through fiscal year 2029, supports fleet and facility recapitalization, creates a Secretary of the Coast Guard position for parity with the other armed services, and imposes stronger protections against sexual assault and harassment following the “Operation Fouled Anchor” investigations.23House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
The committee is also developing the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, which authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects covering ports, harbors, inland waterways, and flood and storm protection. Following hearings in December 2025 and February 2026, a markup was scheduled for July 1, 2026.24House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. WRDA 2026 Markup Announcement
IIJA Oversight and Reconciliation Contributions
The committee continues to oversee rollout of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. As of January 31, 2026, the Department of Transportation reported that 72.6 percent of IIJA-enacted budget authority had been obligated (roughly $360 billion out of $496 billion), though only 43 percent had actually been paid out.25U.S. Department of Transportation. IIJA Funding Status Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy testified on the DOT’s fiscal year 2026 budget request in July 2025.26House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. DOT FY2026 Budget Hearing
The committee’s contributions to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) produced a net deficit decrease of roughly $37 billion, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates.27Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Breaking Down the One Big Beautiful Bill Spending included nearly $23 billion for Coast Guard assets: Offshore Patrol Cutters, Fast Response Cutters, Polar Security Cutters, aircraft, and shoreside infrastructure. Offsets included nearly $4.6 billion in rescinded unobligated Inflation Reduction Act funds and new Highway Trust Fund user fees of $200 annually for electric vehicles, $100 for hybrids, and, beginning in 2031, $20 on other passenger vehicles, projected to raise roughly $50 billion over ten years.28House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. T&I Committee Reconciliation Proposal The reconciliation EV and hybrid figures differ from the BUILD America 250 Act’s $130 and $35; the two bills moved on parallel tracks.