A conference committee has begun work on developing a final Transportation bill after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a temporary extension that is conferenceable with the Senate-passed bill. Opening statements for the conference committee began on May 8 and staff will be negotiating policy provisions to develop a compromise bill before the current extension expires on June 30, reports the Wildlife Management Institute.

Along with provisions for funding trails and federal lands roads, the 2-year $109 billion bill passed by the Senate includes a Gulf restoration provision as well as two years of funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The House-passed extension includes limited policy substance but does include language expediting approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and other environmental streamlining provisions. House members say that they will use the five-year bill that passed the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as their starting point for discussions, but that bill was never debated on the House floor due to lack of support for some controversial provisions.

With a little more than a month to work, there is a question whether or not the chambers will be able to craft a compromise that can be approved before the current bill expires. (jas)