HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION U.S. Congress. " HEARINGS BEFORE THE House, COMMITTEE ON ROADS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEVENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H. R. 2426 A BILL TO SUPPLEMENT THE FEDERAL-AID ROAD 98217 VOLUME 1 FEBRUARY 29, MARCH 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, AND 13, 1944 Printed for the use of the Committee on Roads UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1944 FEDERAL AID FOR POST-WAR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1944 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON ROADS, The committee met at 10 a. m., Hon. J. W. Robinson (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will please be in order. The purpose of the hearing this morning is to take up H. R. 2426, which the reporter will insert at this point in the record. (The bill is here printed in full as follows:) [H. R. 2426, 78th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To supplement the Federal-aid Road Act approved July 11, 1916, as amended and supplemented, to authorize appropriations for the post-war construction of greatly needed highways and bridges, to eliminate hazards at railroad-grade crossings, to provide for the immediate preparation of plans and acquisition of rights-of-way, to cushion the post-war conversion to peacetime economy, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, when used in this Act, unless the context indicates otherwise The term "construction" means the supervising, inspecting, actual building, and all expenses incidental to the construction of a highway, including locating, surveying and mapping, costs of rights-of-way, and elimination of hazards at railwaygrade crossings. The term "urban area” means an area including and adjacent to a city of ten thousand or more, the population of such included city to be determined by the Federal census of 1940. The boundaries of urban areas, as defined herein, will be fixed by the State highway department of each State subject to the approval of the Public Roads Administration. The term "rural areas" means all areas of the State not included in "urban areas." The term "geographic region" means any geographic division of the United States indicated by the United States Bureau of the Census for the census of 1940. The term "secondary and feeder roads" means any road not on the Federal-Aid System. SEC. 2. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act there is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of $3,000,000,000 to become available at the rate of $1,000,000,000 a year for each three successive post-war years. The authorization for the first year shall be apportioned among the States within thirty days from the passage of this Act; the authorization for the second year shall be apportioned among the States within one year after the first apportionment; and the authorization for the third year shall be apportioned among the States within one year after the second apportionment. The authorization for the first year shall be available for obligation for construction immediately upon the termination of the present war emergency, or on such earlier date as the Congress may direct; the authorization for the second year shall become available for obligation for construction within one year after the first authorization becomes available; the authorization for the third year shall become available for obligation for construction within one year after the second authorization becomes available. 1 |