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Transportation Glossary
Term Description

Highway Trust Fund (HTF)

A federal trust fund created by the Highway Revenue Act of 1956 which is primarily used to ensure a dependable source of financing for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. Highway Trust Fund revenues are derived from federal highway-user taxes and fees such as motor fuel taxes. The 1956 Act was set to expire in 1972, but since then, legislation has been passed to extend the imposition of the taxes and their transfer to the Highway Trust Fund under ISTEA, TEA-21, and SAFETEA-LU. Trust funds are administered by the government in a fiduciary capacity and are not available for the general purposes of the government. (See Dedicated Funding Source)

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(701)231-7767ndsu.ugpti@ndsu.edu