Plan to participate in APTA’s 38th Annual Legislative Conference, March 10-12 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. The conference program, updated daily as details are finalized, can be found under the Meetings and Conferences section of the APTA website.

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), incoming chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will speak about his plans for the committee during the March 12 Breakfast with Members of Congress. Shuster has already expressed interest in issues of importance to APTA members, including federal passenger and freight rail safety program reauthorizations, oversight of MAP-21 implementation, preparing for the next federal surface transportation authorization process, and addressing Highway Trust Fund financing issues.

A March 11 panel session will bring together Bud Wright, the new executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; Steve Sandherr, chief executive officer, Associated General Contractors; Deron Lovaas, director, federal transportation policy, Energy and Transportation Program, Natural Resources Defense Council; and Colin Peppard, transportation legislative assistant to Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE). They will discuss financing for federal surface transportation programs.

Additional speakers include DOT, FTA, and Federal Railroad Administration representatives, as well as members of the House and Senate.

The March 10 Opening General Session will feature A.B. Stoddard, associate editor and columnist for The Hill, and John Feehery, columnist for The Hill, political commentator, and president of Quinn Gillespie Communications. They will provide an overview of the issues that Congress and the administration will face this year.

The conference schedule also includes two new sessions. The first will examine Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act and Rail Safety Improvement Act authorizations and related rail issues, with a concurrent session on funding and finance proposals.

The next transportation authorization bill expires Sept. 30, 2014. APTA’s Authorization Task Force and Legislative Committee will meet to develop recommendations for next year’s rewrite of the bill that will determine how and where funds will be distributed under the federal program. APTA also is developing comments on MAP-21 implementation, advocating with congressional offices for the completion of the Fiscal Year 2013 appropriations bills, and making the case for dedicated public transit and high-speed rail funding in deficit and debt legislation that Congress develops this year.

To register for the APTA Legislative Conference, click here.