Surface Transportation Extension Act of 1997

Surface Transportation Extension Act of 1997 - Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) to make $5.5 billion available from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for November 16, 1997, through January 31, 1998. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) apportion such funds to each State in the ratio that the State's total FY 1997 obligation authority for funds apportioned for the Federal-aid highway program bears to all States' total FY 1997 obligation authority for Federal-aid highway program funds; and (2) ensure that each State is apportioned funds for specified items according to the 1997 distribution of funds for such items, including the National Highway System, the Interstate maintenance program, the bridge program, the surface transportation program, and the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program.

Requires the Secretary to reduce the amount that would otherwise be apportioned to a State for FY 1998 under a law enacted after this Act reauthorizing a Federal-aid highway program by the amount that is apportioned to such State for such program by this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to establish procedures under which funds apportioned by this Act for a program category for which funds are not authorized under a law enacted after this Act may be restored to the Federal-aid highway program.

Makes specified sums available from the HTF to carry out provisions regarding Federal-aid highway minimum allocations for January 26 through 31, 1998, in accordance with the allocation of such funds among all States for FY 1997.

Directs the Secretary to allocate to each State an amount of obligation authority made available under the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 (DOT Act) that is: (1) equal to the greater of the State's unobligated balance, as of October 1, 1997, of Federal-aid highway apportionments subject to any limitation on obligations, or 50 percent of the State's total FY 1997 obligation authority for funds apportioned for the Federal-aid highway program; but (2) not greater than 75 percent of the State's total FY 1997 obligation authority for funds apportioned for the Federal-aid highway program. Limits the total amount of all allocations to $9.78 billion.

Prohibits: (1) a State from obligating funds for any Federal-aid highway program project after May 1, 1998, until the earlier of the date of enactment of a multiyear law reauthorizing the Federal-aid highway program or July 1, 1998; and (2) the obligation of contract authority made available to the States prior to July 1, 1998, after that date until a multiyear law reauthorizing the Federal-aid highway program has been enacted. Directs the Secretary, on the earlier of the enactment of such law or July 1, 1998, to distribute to each State any remaining amounts of obligation authority for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs by allocation in accordance with the DOT Act.

(Sec. 3) Authorizes a State, for FY 1998, to transfer any unobligated funds granted to it for an alcohol traffic safety program, allocated to it for a commercial motor vehicle safety program, or apportioned to it for the surface transportation program, the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program, the National Highway System, the Interstate System, the highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation program, or the highway safety program 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, highway safety, and motor carrier safety programs.

(Sec. 4) Grants the Secretary specified borrowing authority if necessary to pay administrative and research expenses of the Federal-aid highway program.

Makes certain sums available from HTF for administrative and research expenses of the Federal-aid highway program for FY 1998, subject to specified limitations.

Amends ISTEA to extend 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, the education and training program, metropolitan planning, and for the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

(Sec. 9) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend HTF, the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, and the National Recreational Trails Trust Fund.