On April 21, U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood announced that $48.8 billion in highway funds is now available to state DOTs through the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, the most recent jobs bill. The funding will flow to the states using the existing federal-aid highway formulas. The HIRE Act, HR 2847, which was signed into law last month, included a provision that extends funding authority for surface transportation programs through December 31, 2010. The law provides $40.1 billion from the Highway Trust Fund for highway programs for FY'10. The majority of this funding comes from a series of General Fund transfers into the HTF, the most recent being $19.5B authorized by the HIRE Act.

In addition, the HIRE Act restores $8.7 billion in contract authority for state DOTs that was rescinded last year due to a provision in the original 2005 SAFETEA-LU bill. The HIRE Act does not include any new infrastructure funding, unlike the 2009 ARRA economic stimulus bill did.