Texas Transit Association

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reports that President Bush signed the omnibus appropriations bill for FY2004 on last Friday. The measure provides a record $7.266 billion for the federal transit program. Next week the Administration is expected to release its Fiscal Year 2005 budget, with hearings in the House and Senate Budget Committees scheduled for Tuesday. This is the first step in setting the funding level for the federal transit program for the next fiscal year. Contact Rob Healy for more information.

TEA-21 reauthorization efforts continue in Congress. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee cancelled a mark-up of TEA LU scheduled for Tuesday as the Committee announced it needed additional time to allow for the completion of the revenue proposals for the six-year bill. Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee continues to explore financing mechanisms for the Senate highway and transit bills, and while there is talk that the committee may mark-up a bill as early as next week, that too seems likely to slip.