On Thursday, March 29, 2012, the U.S. Senate passed a 90-day extension of the current federal reauthorization by a voice vote.  The Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012 (H.R. 4281) was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier the same day.  The bill contains no policy changes and extends current programs and funding levels through June 30, 2012.  The White House signaled it would approve the bill.  While the Senate passed Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century (MAP-21), a 1.5-year, $109 billion reauthorization bill on March 14, the House rejected it in a procedural vote on March 21.

If signed by the President, the extension would be the ninth to the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which originally expired on September, 30 2009.  The current extension expires March 31, 2012.