HR 2615 · 108th Congress 2003–2005, ended

Rebuild America Act of 2003

Introduced Jun 26, 2003 Originated House Sponsor Jerry F. Costello D-IL

Latest action · Apr 22, 2004 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E614)

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

IntroducedJun 26, 2003
Passed HouseNot reached
Passed SenateNot reached
To the PresidentNot reached
Became lawNot reached

Summary

Rebuild America Act of 2003 - Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century and Federal transportation law to increase, for FY 2003, the: (1) Federal-aid highway program obligation ceiling; (2) authorization of appropriations for formula grants from the Highway Trust Fund and General Fund; (3) Federal Transit Program obligation ceiling; and (4) authorization of appropriations for airport planning and development. Authorizes grants for airport baggage and other security improvement projects.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a tax credit to holders of qualified AMTRAK bonds. Outlines requirements prior to the written approval by the Secretary of Transportation of qualified high-speed rail projects (which in turn qualify for the AMTRAK tax credit). Directs the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to submit to the President and Congress a multiyear capital spending plan. Expresses the sense of Congress that the proceeds of qualified AMTRAK bonds are intended to finance the construction of qualified high-speed projects. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 for AMTRAK capital expenditures.

Directs the Secretary to establish a program of capital grants for the rehabilitation, preservation, or improvement of class II and III railroad track used primarily for freight transportation. Amends the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 to: (1) increase the aggregate unpaid principal ceiling on railroad rehabilitation and improvement loans; (2) authorize the Secretary to make grants to supplement such loans and loan guarantees; (3) prohibit the Secretary from requiring such a loan applicant to provide collateral; (4) require loan approval or disapproval within 30 days; and (5) prohibit the Secretary from assessing fees for such loans.

Authorizes appropriations for port security grants.

Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to: (1) require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to assist States in establishing simplified procedures for small water treatment works to obtain assistance under such Act; (2) add to authorized purposes of State water pollution control revolving funds; (3) extend, from 20 to 30 years, the authorized term for loans made from such funds; (4) allow such funds to be used to provide owners and operators of small treatment works with certain technical and planning assistance; (5) allow an additional subsidization to benefit individual water rate payers; and (6) authorize FY 2003 appropriations for such funds, for sewer water overflow grants, and for safe drinking water revolving funds.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 2003 for: (1) Army Corps of Engineers construction, operation, and maintenance activities; (2) public works and economic development; (3) Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Great Plains regional development; and (4) security enhancements for properties of the General Services Administration.

Provides with respect to projects under this Act: (1) priority consideration for security enhancement projects; and (2) Buy American requirements.

Amends provisions of the Internal Revenue Code concerning tax shelters to provide penalties for failure to include reportable transaction information with respect to a return or statement for a transaction which the Secretary of the Treasury determines has the potential for tax avoidance or evasion. Imposes an accuracy-related penalty of: (1) 20 percent for understatements with respect to reportable transactions (with an exception for reasonable cause shown); and (2) 40 percent for understatements attributable to transactions lacking economic substance. Makes confidentiality of tax-related communications provisions inapplicable to communications between a tax practitioner and a person in connection with tax shelter participation. Requires each material advisor (currently, each tax shelter organizer) to disclose specified information with respect to such tax shelter (adding specified tax shelter threshold amounts). Increases penalties for failure to register tax shelters. Provides penalties for failure to report interests in foreign financial accounts and for frivolous tax submissions. Places limits on the transfer or importation of built-in losses. Provides for the prevention of corporate expatriation in order to avoid U.S. income tax.

Cosponsors 48

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 26, 2003 to Sep 8, 2004; 34 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

Seat	Cosponsor		Signed on
D-NY	Anthony D. Weiner	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-NJ	Bill Pascrell, Jr.	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-CA	Bob Filner	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-OK	Brad Carson	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-WA	Brian Baird	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-FL	Corrine Brown	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-OR	Earl Blumenauer	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-TX	Eddie Bernice Johnson	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-DC	Eleanor Holmes Norton	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-MD	Elijah E. Cummings	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-CA	Ellen O. Tauscher	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-MN	James L. Oberstar	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-NY	Jerrold Nadler	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-UT	Jim Matheson	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-PA	Joseph M. Hoeffel	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-CA	Juanita Millender-McDonald	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-IN	Julia Carson	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-IA	Leonard L. Boswell	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-TN	Lincoln Davis	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-MA	Michael E. Capuano	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-ME	Michael H. Michaud	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-CA	Michael M. Honda	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-CA	Mike Thompson	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-WV	Nick J. Rahall II	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-TX	Nick Lampson	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-OR	Peter A. DeFazio	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-IL	Rahm Emanuel	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-WA	Rick Larsen	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-NJ	Robert Menendez	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-NV	Shelley Berkley	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-PA	Tim Holden	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-NY	Timothy H. Bishop	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-IL	William O. Lipinski	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-MO	Wm. Lacy Clay	Original	Jun 26, 2003
D-WV	Alan B. Mollohan		Jul 9, 2003
D-MN	Betty McCollum		Jul 25, 2003
D-NC	Bob Etheridge		Jul 25, 2003
D-NY	Charles B. Rangel		Jul 25, 2003
D-MA	Edward J. Markey		Jul 25, 2003
D-TX	Martin Frost		Jul 25, 2003
D-PA	Michael F. Doyle		Jul 25, 2003
D-AZ	Raúl M. Grijalva		Jul 25, 2003
D-TX	Silvestre Reyes		Jul 25, 2003
D-AR	Vic Snyder		Oct 2, 2003
D-HI	Neil Abercrombie		Oct 15, 2003
D-CA	Barbara Lee		Oct 29, 2003
D-CA	Lois Capps		Oct 29, 2003
D-TX	Sheila Jackson Lee		Sep 8, 2004

Committees 5

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

Chamber	Committee	What it did
House	Transportation and Infrastructure Committee	Referred Jun 26, 2003
	Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee	Referred Jun 27, 2003
	Aviation Subcommittee	Referred Jun 27, 2003
	Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee	Referred Jun 27, 2003
	Highways and Transit Subcommittee	Referred Jun 27, 2003
	Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee	Referred Jun 27, 2003
	Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee	Referred Jun 27, 2003
House	Ways and Means Committee	Referred Jun 26, 2003
House	Energy and Commerce Committee	Referred Jun 26, 2003
	Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee	Referred Jul 11, 2003
House	Financial Services Committee	Referred Jun 26, 2003
	Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology Subcommittee	Referred Jul 14, 2003
House	Agriculture Committee	Referred Jun 26, 2003
	Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee	Referred Jul 14, 2003

Actions 12

Everything that happened, newest first.

Apr 22, 2004Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E614)
Jul 14, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology.
Jul 14, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development and Research.
Jul 11, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.
Jun 27, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Show all 12 actions

In the Congressional Record 1

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

Where	In the Record	Members	Date
Extensions	Debate and remarks E1798Summaries E1798	James L. Oberstar D-MN	Sep 16, 2003

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

Bill	Title	Relationship	Latest action
S 1409	Rebuild America Act of 2003	Identical bill	Jul 15, 2003

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced: To provide funding for infrastructure investment to restore the United States economy and to enhance the security of transportation and environmental facilities throughout the United States.
Short Titles as Introduced: Rebuild America Act of 2003

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Transportation and Public Works.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

Jun 26, 2003Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.