H.R. 5158, a bill to direct the Secretary of Transportation to request nominations for and make determinations regarding roads to be designated under the national scenic byways program, and for other purposes

H.R. 5158 would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to request nominations of roads under the national scenic byways program. The department provides grants and technical assistance to states, Indian tribes, and federal land management agencies for projects associated with roads designated under that program. Under the bill, DOT would be required to post the request for nominations on its website and to designate new roads within one year of the request for nominations.

Using data from DOT about the number of designations before 2009 (the most recent year in which designations were made) and information from a recent survey of likely applicants, CBO estimates that DOT would receive roughly 50 nominations and would need the equivalent of one to two full-time staff for up to a year to assess those nominations. As a result, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2019-2023 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

Enacting H.R. 5158 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5158 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.

H.R. 5158 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.