▁were ▁Represent ative ▁Jim ▁Wright ▁and ▁Senator ▁Lloyd ▁B ents en , ▁both ▁of ▁Texas . ▁The ▁conference ▁committee ▁bill ▁allowed ▁states ▁to ▁use ▁up ▁to ▁$ 2 0 0 ▁million ▁of ▁fis cal ▁year ▁ 1 9 7 5 ' s ▁$ 8 0 0 ▁million ▁urban ▁highway ▁appropri ation ▁to ▁purch ases ▁mass ▁trans it ▁bus es . ▁In ▁fis cal ▁year ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁states ▁could ▁di vert ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁entire ▁$ 8 0 0 ▁million ▁urban ▁highway ▁appropri ation ▁to ▁mass ▁trans it ▁( which ▁now ▁included ▁not ▁only ▁bus es ▁but ▁also ▁rolling ▁stock ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁rail ▁construction ). ▁The ▁conf ere es ▁also ▁agreed ▁to ▁bar ▁states ▁from ▁cancel ing ▁sections ▁of ▁their ▁planned ▁inter states ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁money ▁for ▁mass ▁trans it . ▁Some ▁issues ▁were ▁still ▁un resol ved , ▁however . ▁Conf ere es ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁reached ▁agreement ▁on ▁whether ▁states ▁could ▁use ▁highway ▁trust ▁funds ▁for ▁rail ▁operations , ▁whether ▁to ▁give ▁preced ence ▁to ▁fund ing ▁for ▁roads ▁which ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁inter states , ▁or ▁whether ▁to ▁include ▁a ▁highway ▁safety ▁program ▁in ▁the ▁highway ▁aid ▁bill ▁or ▁pass ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁stand - alone ▁bill . ▁The ▁issue ▁of ▁whether ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁Inter state ▁Highway ▁System ▁was ▁also ▁out standing . ▁ ▁A ▁final ▁Federal - A id ▁Highway ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁was ▁reported ▁out ▁of ▁conference ▁committee ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 0 . ▁The ▁conference ▁committee ▁had