Legislative Affairs
Both the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress address many important transportation issues that affect the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Transportation and air quality in the North Central Texas region are impacted by legislative decisions at the State and federal levels.
NCTCOG staff regularly update policy and technical committee members, transportation partners and others interested in monitoring legislative initiatives related to the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) legislative priorities.
In order to understand current legislative initiatives, the RTC directed the development of a Transportation Funding 101 primer so legislators and the general public can better understand funding sources for transportation as well as trends that impact the amount of funding available. A shortfall of funding has been identified and the primer also addresses potential solutions to increase funding options.
Legislative Update
October 3, 2025
FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.
Congress was on recess in August and reconvened again on September 2. Their top priorities upon their return included passing the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Appropriations bill and averting a government shutdown.
On October 1, the federal government shutdown due to a lack of a bipartisan funding deal. While the length of the shutdown is unknown, the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) funding will largely remain unaffected. Under the law, $80.0 billion in new Highway Trust Fund (HTF) contract authority and an additional $36.8 billion of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Division J advance appropriations became available for USDOT on October 1. Additionally, reimbursements for formula programs at the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will continue as normal, since a full year of contract authority is available and since all FHWA and FTA personnel are all paid by means other than annual appropriations.
UDOT’s shutdown plan outlines how a lapse in appropriations impacts workforce across the department. According to the new plan:
- 12,213 employees (about 23% of USDOT staff) would be furloughed beginning October 1, with the bulk of these reductions at the FAA.Equity and climate grant rescissions: Unobligated funds are rescinded for the Neighborhood Access & Equity (NAE), Low-Carbon Transportation Materials (LCTM), Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles (CHDV), Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA, IRA) and FHWA Environmental-Review Implementation Funds, Climate Pollution Reduction Grants, and others.
- 41,500 employees would continue working without pay as “excepted” personnel, including safety-critical FAA staff and inspectors.No new revenue for the Highway Trust Fund; removed House-passed EV fee. Keeps the existing long-term HTF shortfall unresolved, deferring the issue to 2026 reauthorization.
- 11,700 employees are classified as “exempt” and will continue working and receiving pay because their salaries come from trust funds or multi-year appropriations.
FROM AUSTIN
The 89th Texas Legislature adjourned its second Special Session on September 3, 2025. Governor Abbott’s session agenda included camp safety, improving flood warning systems, strengthening flood emergency communications, providing relief funding for Hill Country flooding, enhancing natural disaster preparation and recovery, eliminating the STAAR test, cutting property taxes, restricting children’s access to THC, regulating hemp-derived products, advancing abortion legislation, banning taxpayer-funded lobbying, supporting human trafficking victims, addressing police personnel records, protecting women’s spaces, clarifying the Attorney General’s election powers, conducting Congressional redistricting, combating title theft and deed fraud, incentivizing water projects, and reforming the state judicial department. No transportation-related items were included in the governor’s agenda.
On November 4, Texas voters will vote on 17 constitutional amendments, including Proposition 4. Proposition 4 is based on HJR 7 and involves funding for water infrastructure. If approved by voters, $20 billion in state sales and use taxes will be allocated to the Texas water fund over the following two decades, with provisions for the allocation and use of that funds.
July Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) Hearing
The Texas Transportation Commission met on July 31. Routine information was presented for their approval, including highway letting contracts, rejection of building maintenance bids, State Infrastructure Bank loans, Federal and State aviation awards, and rule adoptions.
August Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) Hearing
The Texas Transportation Commission met on August 21. The commission approved the 2026 UTP, representing a $146.4 billion investment into the state’s transportation infrastructure. This includes a total of $101.5 billion distributed across the 12 UTP funding categories for construction. Additionally, the commissioned approved the decision by the RTC to provide $3.5 million to keep Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer operating for at least another year.
September Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) Hearing The Texas Transportation Commission met on September 25. The Commission appointed members to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, approved grant funding for airport improvement projects at various locations and adopted rule changes to the Texas Administrative Code related to the new Off-System Rail Grade Separation State Fund Program as authorized by Senate Bill 1555, 89th Regular Session.
MONITORED BILLS LIST
If you need information on the bills being tracked, please contact Jackie Nolasco at jnolasco@nctcog.org.
RECENT COMMITTEE HEARINGS
US SENATE
- The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness met on September 10 for a hearing on America’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) action plan.
Texas Legislature - 89th Session January 14, 2025 - June 2, 2025
- Regional Transportation Council Legislative Program for the 89th Texas Legislature 
- 89th Texas Legislature Summary of Bills (2025)
- 89th Texas Legislature Final Actions Presentation - Transportation
Texas Legislature - 88th Session January 10, 2023 - May 29, 2023
- Regional Transportation Council Legislative Program for the 88th Texas Legislature
- 88th Texas Legislature Summary of Bills (2023)
Other Resources
Congressional Updates important to our region
In 2005 Congress passed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) . This legislation guided surface transportation policy and funding through 2009. Nine short-term extensions passed since SAFETEA-LU expired in 2009. The final short-term extension of SAFETEA-LU extended surface transportation authorization through June 30, 2012.
On July 6, 2012, President Obama signed into law a two-year $105 billion surface transportation authorization, titled Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). MAP-21 reauthorized the federal-aid highway, highway safety and transit programs that were last authorized by SAFETEA-LU. New programs and funding levels began on October 1, 2012, and continued through September 30, 2014. The final short-term extension of MAP-21 expired on December 4, 2015.
On December 4, 2015, President Obama signed the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act into law, which authorizes Federal highway, transit, safety and rail programs for five years at $305 billion. The FAST Act is effective October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2020.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021, is a five-year bill that authorizes $567.5 billion for surface transportation, including roads and bridges, and an additional $550 billion for water, broadband, cybersecurity, and energy infrastructure. With a total funding amount of $1.2 trillion, the act aims to modernize infrastructure across the nation and is set to expire on September 30, 2026.
2019 RTC Principles for Federal Surface Transportation Authorization