House and Senate appropriators have now released their budget numbers for surface transportation programs in fiscal 2026, with some key differences for them to work through when they reconvene after returning from August recess. Both the Senate and House versions of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) bill would meet or slightly exceed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)’s roadmap for infrastructure projects, while also containing some key differences.
Although the headline numbers don’t differ much between both chambers, the Senate sets aside $62 million for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP), allowing some projects which received funding from the Neighborhood Access and Equity program to continue as that program’s funding was recently rescinded by Congress. The House, on the other hand, zeroes out new RCP funding and transfers $200 million of already‑enacted RCP dollars to the Tribal Transportation Program.
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure sees a similar split: the Senate orders USDOT to issue overdue guidance to unclog the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula program and transfers $555 million from the program to other highway infrastructure programs. The House would sweep a billion dollars of NEVI advance appropriations from charging stations into unrelated accounts to support FAA facilities and equipment.
In addition to a slew of different transfers between programs, there was a policy rider adopted by voice during the House’s markup that bars any FY 26 funds from being used on speed camera programs, including those deployed to protect roadside crews. The Senate bill contains no such language. Unless reconciled, the ban could curtail state DOT projects that rely on automated enforcement to reduce crashes in active work zones.
What’s next? With the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, Congress will work towards reconciling the differences between both chambers or passing an extension to the current FY 25 funding.
To find out specific numbers and transfers on programs, click here. For bill summaries, you can find them here: House Bill Summary and Senate Bill Summary.
For additional information, please contact Deniz Mustafa.