Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
The Interstate Ferry Fairness Act amends title 23 U.S.C. to make privately or majority-privately owned ferries and ferry terminal facilities eligible for the Federal Ferry Boat Program.
It authorizes federal participation in construction or purchase for private ownership of ferries and terminals serving routes between adjoining States or certain public-road-classified routes, allows passenger and vehicle ferries, and permits privately owned interstate ferries to charge fares covering costs plus a Secretary-determined reasonable rate of return.
The bill makes conforming amendments to related surface transportation funding sections and becomes effective one year after enactment.
Targeted, administratively focused amendment with plausible bipartisan backers, but fiscal implications for private subsidies and federal purchase authority add political friction.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused substantive statutory amendment that clearly targets the ferry program's eligibility rules and includes concrete changes to ownership eligibility, federal participation authority, and fare-revenue limits. It integrates cleanly into existing title 23 provisions.
Privatization vs public-ownership and accountability
Privatization vs public-ownership and accountability
Skeptical.
Expanding federal funding eligibility to private ferry owners raises concerns about privatizing public transport and subsidizing private profits.
Support would hinge on strong public-benefit tests, transparency, and protections for affordability and labor standards.
Cautiously positive.
The bill increases flexibility to address ferry service gaps and interstate links, but raises fiscal and oversight questions.
Support depends on procurement safeguards, performance metrics, and limits on federal exposure.
Generally favorable.
The bill allows private sector participation and returns on investment, leveraging federal dollars to improve interstate ferry service without requiring continued federal operation.
Main reservations concern limiting federal spending and ensuring state control.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Targeted, administratively focused amendment with plausible bipartisan backers, but fiscal implications for private subsidies and federal purchase authority add political friction.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Privatization vs public-ownership and accountability
Targeted, administratively focused amendment with plausible bipartisan backers, but fiscal implications for private subsidies and federal p…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused substantive statutory amendment that clearly targets the ferry program's eligibility rules and includes concrete changes to ownership eligibility, federa…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.