Rush Energy Security Bill Signed into Law as Part of Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Rush Energy Security Bill Signed into Law as Part of Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Washington, DC) — Energy security legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.), Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Energy Subcommittee, was signed into law last week as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684).
Among other provisions, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act:
- extends FY2021 enacted levels through FY2022 for federal-aid highway, transit, and safety programs;
- reauthorizes for FY2023-FY2026 several surface transportation programs, including the federal-aid highway program, transit programs, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and rail programs;
- addresses climate change, including strategies to reduce the climate change impacts of the surface transportation system and a vulnerability assessment to identify opportunities to enhance the resilience of the surface transportation system and ensure the efficient use of federal resources;
- revises Buy America procurement requirements for highways, mass transit, and rail;
- establishes a rebuild rural bridges program to improve the safety and state of good repair of bridges in rural communities;
- implements new safety requirements across all transportation modes; and
- directs DOT to establish a pilot program to demonstrate a national motor vehicle per-mile user fee to restore and maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund and achieve and maintain a state of good repair in the surface transportation system.
Rush’s Enhancing State Energy Security Planning and Emergency Preparedness Act authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide federal financial assistance to states for the implementation, review, and revision of state energy security plans. The energy security plans would assess a state’s circumstances and make proposals to strengthen, secure, and ensure the reliability and resilience of that state’s energy infrastructure. The legislation stipulates that the plan must address potential hazards to each energy sector or system, including physical and cybersecurity threats.
“Recent cyber threats, including the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, have served as sharp reminders of the urgent need to modernize and protect our nation’s energy infrastructure from bad actors,” said Rush. “My Enhancing State Energy Security Planning and Emergency Preparedness Act will help states address energy security vulnerabilities and modernize their infrastructure to meet the challenges of the 21st century. I am thrilled that this important and timely legislation has now become law.”
Rush Energy Security Bill Signed into Law as Part of Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
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