Next stop: Congress
On May 21, 2026, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee amended and approved the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870) following a lengthy markup that began at 10:00 a.m. and stretched late into early Friday morning. The Committee described the legislation as a bipartisan, five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill covering roads, bridges, transit, rail, highway safety, and motor carrier safety programs. Members submitted hundreds of amendments for consideration, though only a limited number were ultimately adopted into the Committee-reported bill. (A full list of submitted amendments can be found here.) Chairman Graves (R-MO) said he looks forward to moving the bill on the House floor in the near future and working with the Senate before the current surface transportation law expires on September 30.
As ABA detailed in its earlier analysis of the House proposal, the BUILD America 250 Act already included several significant provisions for the private motorcoach and group travel industry, including toll parity for charter buses, HOV access for private motorcoaches, faster enforcement timelines for charter bus rule complaints, stronger access protections for federally funded transit facilities and terminals, expanded support for rural intercity bus infrastructure, preservation of current motorcoach insurance minimums, and continued federal fuel tax rebate treatment.
Following yesterday’s markup, the bill now includes additional provisions that further align with ABA’s priorities around motorcoach fairness, bad-actor enforcement, toll transparency, and intermodal recognition. ABA will continue engaging with Members of Congress and Committee staff as the bill moves toward the House floor, both to support provisions adopted during markup and to advance priorities that were raised but not included in the Committee-reported bill. ABA will keep members updated as the process continues.
ABA-Relevant Amendments Adopted During Markup
Manager’s Amendment Adds Additional Motorcoach Wins
The Manager’s Amendment was adopted by voice vote and added two provisions relevant to ABA. First, it added toll parity transparency language requiring FHWA to publish information on the rates, terms, and conditions of covered toll facilities, building on the Bus Parity and Clarity Act language already reflected in the base text. This is important because better transparency can help private operators and policymakers identify whether over-the-road buses are receiving equal treatment at covered toll facilities.
The Manager’s Amendment also added a Motorcoach Enplanement Pilot Program, reviving a prior House FAA reauthorization concept that recognizes motorcoaches as part of the broader intermodal transportation network. The pilot would allow certain airport-to-airport motorcoach passengers, when connected to air service, to be counted in airport passenger boarding calculations. For ABA, this is a positive recognition that motorcoaches can help connect communities to the national air system, particularly in places where direct air service may be limited.
Rep. Knott (R-NC) Amendment #016 Strengthens FMCSA Registration Fraud Detection
Rep. Knott’s amendment was adopted by voice vote, reflecting concepts from his standalone SAFER in Transport Act, H.R. 8267, and advancing ABA’s priority of strengthening enforcement against unsafe or noncompliant “bad actor” operators. The amendment would require FMCSA to develop automated systems to flag suspicious activity in motor carrier and broker registration, review flagged users, and potentially suspend or revoke authority for fraud.
While the amendment appears to be rooted in freight fraud concerns, it applies broadly to FMCSA-registered motor carriers and can also support stronger enforcement against fraudulent or unsafe passenger carriers. Responsible motorcoach operators are undercut when shell companies, reincarnated carriers, or unsafe operators evade oversight, and this amendment provides another tool to help FMCSA identify suspicious actors before they put passengers and the public at risk.
Rep. Taylor (R-OH) Amendment #081 Strengthens Chameleon Carrier Detection
Rep. Taylor’s chameleon carrier amendment was also adopted by voice vote and is closely aligned with ABA’s concern about shell companies, reincarnated carriers, and fly-by-night operators that evade FMCSA oversight. The amendment would require GAO to study chameleon carriers, including their prevalence, safety impacts, evasion tactics, and shortcomings in DOT monitoring and enforcement.
The amendment also directs FMCSA to develop an advanced automation tool to detect chameleon carrier applications by reviewing factors such as common ownership, officers, addresses, equipment, drivers, insurance policies, prior safety history, enforcement actions, and continuity of operations. Private motorcoach operators support strong enforcement that distinguishes responsible companies from unsafe operators attempting to avoid accountability.
ABA-Relevant Amendments Not Adopted, But Still Important
Rep. Garcia (D-IL) Amendment #043 Highlighted Autonomous Motorcoach Safety Concerns
Rep. Garcia of Illinois offered an amendment that was not adopted, but it directly reflected a concern ABA raised with the Committee before markup: autonomous motorcoach policy must account for the realities of carrying passengers, not just moving freight. The amendment would have added public transportation and motorcoach passengers to the categories of ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles requiring a human operator onboard for a period of time.
It would also have required an onboard licensed human operator for public and passenger motorcoach transportation, unless a bus testing facility determined that human operators are not necessary for safety, security, ADA assistance, inspections, emergencies, unruly passengers, and related passenger-service needs. ABA continues to believe that any federal autonomous commercial vehicle framework must recognize the unique responsibilities involved in passenger transportation, including emergency response, evacuations, ADA accessibility, onboard security, baggage handling, and passenger assistance.
Rep. Knott (R-NC) Amendment #018 Would Have Added Stronger Fraud Penalties
Rep. Knott’s second fraud-related amendment, which also tracks concepts from his standalone SAFER in Transport Act, H.R. 8267, was withdrawn and was not added to the bill. The amendment would have created criminal penalties for knowingly submitting or using fraudulent certifications in FMCSA-administered registration, certification, filing, or compliance requirements, including unlawful transportation of property or passengers.
Although this language was not adopted during markup, the concept remains relevant to ABA’s bad-actor enforcement priority. Fraudulent filings, false registrations, and reincarnated business entities can allow unsafe operators to avoid accountability. ABA will continue to track opportunities to support stronger tools that deter fraud in both property and passenger carrier registrations.
Rep. Taylor (R-OH) Amendment #078 Would Have Required an Active USDOT Number
Rep. Taylor also offered an amendment that would have prohibited any employer or person from conducting operations requiring federal registration unless they have an active USDOT number. The amendment would have required DOT to issue an active USDOT number only after determining the applicant meets registration requirements and to inactivate a USDOT number when an entity no longer has valid registration or fails to make required updates.
The amendment was withdrawn and was not added to the bill, but the concept remains important for passenger carriers. Accurate and active FMCSA registration is critical to distinguishing legitimate motorcoach operators from unsafe or noncompliant entities. ABA will continue to monitor this issue as part of its broader work to ensure that unsafe operators are identified and removed from the marketplace.
Looking Ahead
The Committee-reported BUILD America 250 Act now heads toward consideration by the full House of Representatives, though the exact timing remains to be determined. Current surface transportation authorization expires on September 30, meaning Congress must act by then on either a full reauthorization or an extension. ABA will continue working with lawmakers across the House and Senate to support provisions that benefit the private motorcoach and group travel industry, protect improvements made during markup, and advance the industry’s priorities as the bill moves through the legislative process.