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Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU)

Fact Sheets on Highway Provisions

STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK PROGRAM

Program Purpose

SAFETEA-LU establishes a new State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) program under which all States, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with the Secretary to establish infrastructure revolving funds eligible to be capitalized with Federal transportation funds authorized for fiscal years 2005-2009.

The new program gives States the capacity to increase the efficiency of their transportation investment and significantly leverage Federal resources by attracting non-Federal public and private investment. The program provides greater flexibility to the States by allowing other types of project assistance in addition to grant assistance.

Statutory References

SAFETEA-LU Section: 1602
Other: 23 USC 610

Assistance

SIBs provide various forms of non-grant assistance to public or private entities for eligible projects, including below-market rate subordinate loans, interest rate buy-downs on third party loans, and guarantees and other forms of credit enhancement. Any debt issued or guaranteed by the SIB must be of investment grade quality.

Funding

States participating in the new SIB program may capitalize the account(s) in their SIBs with Federal surface transportation funds for each of fiscal years 2005-2009 as follows:

  • Highway account – up to 10 percent of the funds apportioned to the State for the National Highway System Program, the Surface Transportation Program, the Highway Bridge Program and the Equity Bonus.
  • Transit account – up to 10 percent of funds made available for capital projects under Urbanized Area Formula Grants, Capital Investment Grants, and Formula Grants for other Than Urbanized Areas
  • Rail account – funds made available for capital projects under subtitle V (Rail Programs) of Title 49, United States Code.
  • The State must match the Federal funds used to capitalize the SIB on an 80-20 Federal/non-Federal basis, except that for the highway account, the sliding scale provisions apply.

Eligible Use of Funds

Projects eligible under Title 23, United States Code, capital projects as defined in section 5302 of Title 49, United States Code and any other projects related to surface transportation that the Secretary determines to be appropriate are eligible for assistance from the SIBs. Both the initial credit assistance funded with Federal capitalization grants, including the required non-Federal match, and any assistance funded with loan repayments and other recycled funds are subject to the requirements of Titles 23 and 49, as applicable.

SIBS Authorized by Prior Legislation

States that established SIBs authorized by the NHS Designation Act and TEA-21 may continue to operate those SIBs.


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