{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-applauds-passage-of-long-term-highway-reauthorization-bill", "Sullivan Applauds Passage of Long-Term Highway Reauthorization Bill", "2015-12-04", "2015", "2015-12", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Dan Sullivan", "S001198", "www.sullivan.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.04.15\n\t\t\t Sullivan Applauds Passage of Long-Term Highway Reauthorization Bill \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Alaska Priorities Included in Bipartisan FAST Act Headed to President's Desk\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON, DC Yesterday evening, Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) joined 82 of his colleagues in passing the bipartisan Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which provides funding for our nation's surface transportation needs over the next five years.\r\nPassage of a long-term highway bill will provide Alaskans with much-needed certainty in infrastructure investments throughout our state, Senator Sullivan said. Building off Congressman Young's work as a past chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Senator Murkowski's position on the Surface Transportation Conference Committee, combined with my position on both the Environment and Public Works and Commerce Committees, we were able to secure a number of Alaska-specific provisions that will increase transportation funding for corehighwayprograms, tribal transportation and the ferry system that are so vital to Alaska's economic future. The bill also includes reforms to our permitting system, which will help cut through project-killing red tape and streamline regulatory burdens. This bill amounts to a big win for Alaska as it will allow us to not only address our infrastructure needs but also promote and sustain economic growth throughout the state.\r\nFunding for Alaska:\r\nThe FAST Act is a five-year bill that sets funding levels above the baseline in the first year.From there, the bill sets growth of the program at inflation for the following 4 years.\r\nThe bill maintains the current formula that delivers a high rate of return for Alaska.\r\nFAST ACT APPORTIONMENT FOR ALASKA\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFY16\r\n\r\n\r\n508,614,600\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFY17\r\n\r\n\r\n519,117,557\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFY18\r\n\r\n\r\n530,336,370\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFY19\r\n\r\n\r\n542,306,359\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFY20\r\n\r\n\r\n555,294,332\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAlaska's FY15 total was $483,955,039.\r\nThe Tribal Transportation Program:\r\n \r\nThe tribal transportation program has been flat funded at $450 million in recent years.This bill increases funding to $465 million in the first year and grows the program $10 million a year for the following four years of the bill.\r\n \r\nFerry Funding:\r\n \r\nThe bill increases funding for the ferry system from $67 million to $80 million a year.This translates into $18.6 million for ferries in Alaska, an increase from $18.2 million in FY15, and an annual increase of $400,000  $2.0 million total over the course of the bill.\r\n \r\nSpecific Provisions:\r\nPM 2.5 waiver for Congestion Mitigation programs:\r\n \r\nProvides flexibility for transportation funds under the CMAQ program with respect to the PM2.5 set-aside for states with low population densities.This free up funding to be spent on local priority projects rather than compliance with non-attainment standards.\r\n \r\nLand Swap in Southeast Alaska:\r\n \r\nLanguage clarifies a 2005 statute to ensure the proper exchange of land between Alaska and the United States Forest Service.This effort included 357 easements, 231 marine access points, 126 log transfer facilities, and 19 transportation and utility corridors.The language included in the bill restores the intent of the law and will allow the exchange of all remaining reciprocal easements to continue.\r\n \r\nTribal transportation program amendment:\r\n \r\nDecreases program administrative expenses related to the tribal transportation program from 6% to 5%. Increases the set-aside for high-priority tribal bridges from 2% to 3%. This amendment makes the program more efficient by ensuring funds are being spent on building infrastructure in the program.\r\n \r\nRail Safety:\r\n \r\nProvides funding for Positive Train Control (PTC) infrastructure in order to expedite PTC compliance.\r\n \r\nFederal Freight Program:\r\n\r\n \r\nThe bill creates a new federal Freight Program, and Alaska will receive $80.3 million in funding over the five-year period.\r\nEstablishes a competitive grant program for nationally significant freight and highway projects for large projects that are difficult to complete with existing funds. The grant program will be funded with total of $4.5 billion over the course of the bill. This includes $800 million for FY16.\r\nGrants will be used for highway freight projects, highway or bridge projects, intermodal or rail freight projects, or ports to increase and enhance the flow of freight throughout the country.\r\n \r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t   \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-applauds-passage-of-long-term-highway-reauthorization-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8028529118746519, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}