Surface Transportation Reauthorization: Stakes and Breaks

As CALSTART’s Federal Policy Director, Levi Kamolnick works at the center of national efforts to advance clean and efficient transportation. Recently, he supported congressional engagement around Surface Transportation Reauthorization, including the bipartisan Padilla-Davids letter urging continued investment in electrification. 

In this Q&A, Levi shares insights from the front lines of the reauthorization process, how congressional support is taking shape, what priorities matter most for the industry, and what stakeholders should watch as negotiations move forward.  

Note: At the time of writing, hopes of meeting the Sept. 30 deadline were fading. There may well be a push to move the deadline to next spring. 

 To start us off, can you give a quick overview of Surface Transportation Reauthorization and why this particular cycle is so important for the future of our transportation sector? 

LK: Surface Transportation Reauthorization is the process Congress goes through roughly every 5 years to set national transportation priorities and fund core infrastructure programs. These bills support roads and bridges, mass transit, and other transportation investments across the country.

These are 5-year spending bills that are very expensive, so the stakes are high, and they are always passed on a bipartisan basis. The current package being negotiated is of great significance because the previous package, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, made historic investments in infrastructure supporting electric vehicles and alternative fuels. Congress now has a huge opportunity to build on that foundation and continue investing in a more resilient and competitive transportation system.

CALSTART has already played an important role in building congressional support for electrification funding in the next reauthorization bill, including support for the Padilla–Davids “Dear Colleague” letter. Can you take us behind the scenes of that effort and share how it has shaped conversations in Congress so far? 

LK: Anyone working in this space knows the past year has been a challenging policy environment for the low- and no-emission vehicle industry. But the encouraging news is that there remains strong support for electrification priorities on Capitol Hill.

Senator Padilla and Congresswoman Davids were enthusiastic about demonstrating that support through a “Dear Colleague” letter focused on electrification priorities in the upcoming reauthorization. CALSTART helped support that effort by encouraging members of Congress to sign on.   

Like many things on Capitol Hill, success often comes down to getting in front of the right offices and building momentum. I’m very encouraged that 90 members of Congress ultimately co-signed the letter, sending a strong signal that there is still meaningful support for continued investment in transportation electrification.

CALSTART has identified several major priorities, from strengthening the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) and National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula (NEVI) programs to lowering costs for fleets. Which priorities do you see as most transformative and why? 

LK: Each program serves a different role in building out the charging ecosystem.

One of the biggest benefits of NEVI is the national interconnectivity it created by investing charging infrastructure in places the private sector might not otherwise prioritize. CFI, on the other hand, created opportunities to right-size charging capacity designed for higher-volume use cases.

As Congress considers the next round of funding, many of these programs may evolve in structure or scope. The key is focusing on the broader goals we are trying to achieve.

Right now, one of the biggest challenges is scaling charging capacity for heavier-duty vehicles. Expanding funding and policy support in that area could have a significant impact on accelerating fleet electrification.

The reauthorization process involves numerous committees, negotiations, and timelines in both the House and Senate. From your perspective, what are some of the lesser-known dynamics that shape the package, and where does CALSTART see the biggest opportunities to make an impact? 

LK: One aspect of the process that often gets overlooked is the length of time for which Congress ultimately decides to fund the bill.

Congress is currently working toward a 5-year package, but that timeline is not guaranteed. In the past, Congress has opted for shorter timeframes, depending on the political environment. In 2012, for instance, lawmakers negotiated a 3-year bill because that’s what proved politically feasible at the time.

Short-term extensions are also sometimes used as stopgaps. Regardless of the final timeline, the key point is that negotiations are actively underway and the process is moving forward, which means there’s real opportunity to shape the outcome.

Looking ahead, what should stakeholders across states, fleets, and utilities, as well as the public, be watching for as Congress negotiates the next Surface Transportation Reauthorization?  

LK: At the highest level, people should watch for signals such as committee hearings, bill markups, and major headlines that reflect the status of negotiations.

While public activity has been relatively limited so far, we know discussions are happening behind the scenes. For stakeholders with major priorities in this space, the time to begin engaging is now.

For those looking to follow the process more closely, it can also be useful to track what committee members are introducing. Sometimes, smaller “marker bills” sponsored by members ultimately become part of larger legislative packages.

As negotiations take shape, there will likely be key moments when stakeholder engagement can help influence the direction of the final package. Surface Transportation Reauthorization will shape the direction of U.S. transportation investment for years to come, and this is an important moment for stakeholders across the transportation ecosystem to stay engaged in the conversation.

This interview is the first in our Policy in Action series exploring how policy and industry collaboration are shaping the future of mobility.