Surface Transportation Extension Act of 1997

Surface Transportation Extension Act of 1997 - Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) to make available from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for January 1 through January 8, 1998: (1) $506 million to carry out the surface transportation program, the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program, and highway safety and commercial motor vehicle safety programs; and (2) $14 million for State apportionments for Federal-aid highway programs.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) apportion funds under (1) above in an amount sufficient to increase any State's unobligated balance, as of October 1, 1997, of such apportionments that was less than 50 percent of the State's total FY 1997 obligation authority for funds apportioned for the Federal-aid highway program to 50 percent of such authority; and (2) allocate funds under (2) above to each State in the ratio that the amount allocated to the State for FY 1997 bears to the amounts allocated to all States for FY 1997.

Directs the Secretary to reduce a State's surface transportation program apportionment that would be authorized by an Act enacted after this Act by the amount of any authorization of contract authority provided to the State under this Act.

Directs the Secretary, subject to a specified limit on aggregate allocations, to allocate to each State an amount of obligation authority that is: (1) equal to the greater of the State's unobligated balance of Federal-aid highway apportionments or 50 percent of the State's total FY 1997 obligation authority for Federal-aid highway funds; but (2) not greater than 75 percent of such State's FY 1997 obligation authority. Prohibits a State from obligating any funds for any Federal-aid highway program project after May 1, 1998, until the earlier of the enactment of a multiyear law reauthorizing the program or July 1, 1998. Prohibits any contract authority made available to the States before July 1, 1998, from being obligated after such date until such a law is enacted.

Provides that the baseline prepared by the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget for FY 1998 through 2003 for mandatory contract authority and mandatory outlays for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs shall be the baseline included in the concurrent resolution on the budget for FY 1998.

(Sec. 3) Authorizes a State, for FY 1998, to transfer any unobligated funds made available to it for specified Federal-aid highway program apportionments, the surface transportation program, the highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation program, or specified highway and commercial motor vehicle safety programs to any other such program. Directs the Secretary, after enactment of a law authorizing the Federal-aid highway program, to restore transferred funds for any project not eligible for the funds but for this section to the program category from which the funds were transferred. Authorizes the Secretary to establish procedures under which transferred funds from a program category for which funds are not authorized may be restored to the Federal-aid highway program.

(Sec. 4) Grants the Secretary specified borrowing authority if necessary to pay administrative and research expenses of the Federal-aid highway program for FY 1998, subject to specified limitations. Makes specified funds available from the HTF for contract authority for such expenses.

Amends ISTEA to extend the authorization of appropriations through March 31, 1998, for the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

(Sec. 5) Amends ISTEA to reauthorize, through March 31, 1998: (1) appropriations for the Federal lands highway program, the national recreational trails program, highway use tax evasion projects, the scenic byways program, and intelligent transportation systems; and (2) National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration highway safety programs, alcohol traffic safety programs, the National Driver Register, the motor carrier safety program, and Federal transit programs (including fixed guideway modernization programs and certain other mass transportation programs). Makes sums available from HTF through such date for the operation lifesaver program, the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program, the National Highway Institute, and the education and training program.