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June 24, 1999 8:00 AM, EDT

The House late Wednesday approved a transportation spending bill for 2000 that authorizes $27.7 billion for highways, a 9% increase over 1999.

The figure is the same as that guaranteed by TEA 21 (Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century) and includes $1.5 billion more in motor fuel tax revenue than had been anticipated.

The measure also puts $105 million into the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program, which funds roadside inspections. A further $70.5 million is earmarked for motor carrier safety operations at the Federal Highway Administration, $9.3 million more than the budget request.

The House bill provides a total of $44.5 billion for the nation's transportation in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Of that amount, almost $6 billion goes to mass transit, and $571 million will subsidize Amtrak.