For its first hearing of the 115th Congress, the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will delve into how the most recent highway bill — the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act — is being implemented on the state and local level. 

The committee said that during the hearing, to be held March 15 at 10 am EST, it intends to examine “the perspectives of the states and local entities that have been integral to the legislation’s success, and who must put into practice the various policies set forth in the law.” The committee is chaired by Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO). 

Slated to present testimony at the hearing will be representatives of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and the National League of Cities (NLC). 

Those witnesses will be:

• John Schroer, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, on behalf of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials

• Gary Thomas, president and executive director of Dallas Area Rapid Transit on behalf of the American Public Transportation Association

• Karen Freeman-Wilson, mayor of Gary, Indiana, on behalf of the National League of Cities

“The FAST Act is an example of how Congress can work together to develop multi-year legislation to build a 21st century infrastructure,” the committee said in a statement. “Input from stakeholders will be critical to monitor the implementation of the FAST Act and help inform the development of future infrastructure bills."

The FAST Act, signed into law by Presdient Obama in December 2015, is a fully funded $305 billion, five-year reauthorization of federal highway and transit programs. The landmark legislation remains the first highway-funding bill to run longer than two years to become law since 2005. 

The hearing, entitled: “FAST Act Implementation: State and Local Perspectives,” is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am EST on Wednesday, March 15, in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC.

More information about the hearing, as well as a live webcast, will be posted as it becomes available.