House committee warns Senate changes to 'T bill' could shift paving priorities and add mileage-based fee

House Transportation committee members told colleagues on April 2 that the Senate Transportation Committee is working on a substantially different version of the broader T bill, and that the House will press to defend its priorities.

The committee’s chair said senators have signaled interest in a mileage-based user fee and a different distribution of paving funds — moving from a House-preferred 90/10 interstate tilt toward a broader spread across the road network. The chair said the House position, informed by testimony from the chief engineer, is to prioritize projects that maximize federal matching funds and to get the most mileage improvements for available money.

Members highlighted local infrastructure concerns as examples of competing priorities. The committee discussed a town bridge on a truck route that supports a local plant and noted heavy lobbying around a project referred to as “22A.” The chair said those local pressures and pilot funds will be part of continued negotiations.

Committee members said they will continue to coordinate with Senate counterparts and expect the final bill that reaches conference to differ from the version the House sent. No formal votes were taken; the committee flagged upcoming testimony from senators and other stakeholders to flesh out the changes and to explain why particular projects were inserted into other bills.

Next steps: the committee plans additional hearings and invited testimony from Senate members and other stakeholders to clarify the Senate’s proposed changes and to defend the House’s priorities.