The U.S. House of Representatives said Nov. 19 it wants $375 billion to pay for the nation's transit and highway systems the next six years as part of the Transportation Equity Act of 2003. Reportedly, funding would be distributed 80 percent for highways and 20 percent for transit.

Other versions call for spending less: The Bush administration wants an overall $247 billion package, and the U.S. Senate has proposed spending $311 billion.

A final bill will determine nationwide funding levels for transportation, highways, mass transit and bridges, as well as distribution levels for individual states.

Meanwhile, legislators must also agree on the source of funding. It could be from new highway user fees such as tolls or new taxes on ethanol. Or from so-called "indexing" of the gas tax, which has been proposed by U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-AK, chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The administration proposal calls for each state to receive a minimum of 90.5 percent return of the transportation taxes they send to Washington, DC. But 15 states that receive a lower return on those taxes want at least a 95 percent return in transportation funding. Those states – including Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Texas and Virginia – say they're seeking a more equitable distribution of those funds.

Debate on funding levels and other issues will not be decided soon. Reportedly, an agreement has been reached to extend discussions until Feb. 29.