Oct 3 -- The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), announces a solicitation of Membership to the Federal System Funding Alternative Advisory Board (Advisory Board). Advisory Board members will serve for 2 years after the date on which the Advisory Board is established, with the potential for reappointment. The Advisory Board will assist with providing the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) with recommendations related to the structure, scope, and methodology for developing and implementing the national motor vehicle per-mile user fee pilot program; assist with carrying out a public awareness campaign; assist with developing reports to Congress analyzing the national motor vehicle per-mile user fee pilot program; and coordinate in the development of the recommendations and a report to Congress required under the Strategic Innovation for Revenue Collection Pilot Program.
The deadline for nominations for Advisory Board membership is November 17, 2023.
Section 13002(g)(1) of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117–58) requires the establishment of the Advisory Board. Under this section, the Advisory Board will assist with providing the Secretary with recommendations related to the structure, scope, and methodology for developing and implementing the national motor vehicle per-mile user fee pilot program under section 13002(b); carrying out the public awareness campaign detailed in section 13002(h); and developing the report to Congress required by section 13002(n). In addition, section 13001(d) of the BIL requires the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Advisory Board, to submit to Congress a report that: (1) summarizes the results of the Strategic Innovation for Revenue Collection pilot projects and the national motor vehicle per-mile user fee pilot program; and (2) provides recommendations, if applicable, to enable potential implementation of a nationwide user-based alternative revenue mechanism.
Pursuant to section 9 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), and in accordance BIL section 13002(g)(1), the Secretary has established the Advisory Board. This document gives notice of this process to potential participants and affords them the opportunity to request representation on the Advisory Board. The procedure for requesting such representation is set out below. The FHWA is aware that there are many more potential organizations and participants than there are membership slots on the Advisory Board. Organizations and participants should be prepared to support their participation on the Advisory Board.
Members serve at the pleasure of the Secretary. Advisory Board members will be appointed for a 2-year term with the potential for reappointment. The Secretary may extend appointments and may appoint replacements for members who have resigned outside of a stated term, as necessary. Advisory Board members may continue to serve until their replacements have been appointed.
The FHWA is hereby soliciting nominations for members of the Advisory Board. The Secretary will appoint, at a minimum, the following representatives and entities:
(1) State departments of transportation;
(2) Any public or nonprofit entity that led a surface transportation system funding alternatives pilot project under section 6020 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (23 U.S.C. 503 note; Public Law 114–94);
(3) Representatives of the trucking industry, including owner-operator independent drivers;
(4) Data security experts with expertise in personal privacy;
(5) Academic experts on surface transportation systems;
(6) Consumer advocates, including privacy experts;
(7) Advocacy groups focused on equity;
(8) Owners of motor vehicle fleets;
(9) Owners and operators of toll facilities;
(10) Representatives of the transit industry, including agencies and entities engaged in mobility on demand or accessible multimodal transportation;
(11) Tribal groups or representatives; and
(12) Any other representatives or entities, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
Engineering News-Record (July 2023): Key Lawmakers Want U.S. DOT Update on Missed Deadline for User-Fee Advisory Panel
https://www.enr.com/articles/56825-key-lawmakers-want-us-dot-update-on-missed-deadline-for-user-fee-advisory-panel
Strategic Innovation for Revenue Collection (SIRC) Fact Sheet
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/sirc_fact_sheet.cfm
Federal System Funding Alternatives Advisory Board
https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/FACACommittee/a103d000001c7svAAA/com042614
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-21745