H.R. 4447: Transit Bus Affordability Act

This bill, known as the Transit Bus Affordability Act, aims to address the rising costs associated with manufacturing and procuring transit buses in the United States. Here’s a breakdown of its main components:

Purpose

The bill mandates the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a comprehensive review aimed at identifying the factors that contribute to the high costs of transit buses. The goal is to suggest strategies to reduce these costs and improve the efficient use of federal, state, and local funding for new bus procurement.

Key Components of the Review

In order to fulfill its purpose, the review will focus on several critical areas:

• Cost Drivers: Identifying the main factors that drive up the costs of designing and procuring transit buses in the U.S.
• International Comparison: Comparing the costs related to bus design, manufacturing, and procurement in the U.S. against those in other countries. This will also include an examination of how prices have increased over the last decade for buses in relation to medium-duty vehicles, school buses, and other commercial vehicles.
• Manufacturing Challenges: Assessing how challenges faced by bus manufacturers and suppliers impact the procurement processes supported by federal funding, particularly through programs like the low or no-emission grant program and the competitive grant program for buses and bus facilities.
• Current Efforts: Evaluating the steps taken by various stakeholders, such as the Federal Transit Administration, state authorities, transit agencies, manufacturers, and industry representatives, to try to mitigate bus costs and speed up manufacturing times. This includes analyzing:
  • The potential effectiveness of measures aiming to reduce costs and delivery times for new bus orders.
  • The impact of using state contracts and joint procurement on bus costs.
  • Additional authorities or measures needed to further minimize costs and delays.

Reporting

After completing the review, the Comptroller General is required to submit a report detailing the findings and recommendations within 18 months of the bill’s enactment. This report will be directed to two congressional committees: the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in the Senate.

Overall Impact

The legislation seeks to ensure that taxpayer resources are utilized more efficiently when it comes to public transportation and transit bus procurement, potentially leading to more affordable options for transit agencies across the country.

Relevant Companies

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