Sec. 44001. Purpose; definitions; administration
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/bill/114/hr/22/eas/section-44001A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The purpose of the grants described in the amendments made by section 44002 is to assist in funding critical high-cost transportation infrastructure projects that— are difficult to complete with existing Federal, State, local, and private funds; and will achieve 1 or more of— generation of national or regional economic benefits and an increase in the global economic competitiveness of the United States; reduction of congestion and the impacts of congestion; improvement of facilities vital to agriculture, manufacturing, or national energy security; improvement of the efficiency, reliability, and affordability of the movement of freight; improvement of transportation safety; improvement of existing and designated future Interstate System routes; or improvement of the movement of people through improving rural connectivity and metropolitan accessibility.
In this section and for purposes of the grant programs established under the amendments made by section 44002: The term eligible applicant means— a State (or a group of States); a local government (or a group of local governments); a tribal government (or a consortium of tribal governments); a transit agency (or a group of transit agencies); a special purpose district or a public authority with a transportation function; a port authority (or a group of port authorities); a political subdivision of a State or local government; a Federal land management agency, jointly with the applicable State; or a multistate or multijurisdictional group of entities described in subparagraphs
(A)through (H). The term rural area means an area that is outside of an urbanized area with a population greater than 150,000 individuals, as determined by the Bureau of the Census. The term rural State means a State that has a population density of 80 or fewer persons per square mile, based on the most recent decennial census. An eligible applicant shall submit to the Secretary or the Federal Highway Administrator (referred to in this section as the Administrator ), as appropriate, an application in such form and containing such information as the Secretary or Administrator, as appropriate, determines necessary, including the total amount of the grant requested. Each application submitted under this paragraph shall include data on the most recent system performance, to the extent practicable, and estimated system improvements that will result from completion of the eligible project, including projections for improvements 5 and 10 years after completion of the project. An eligible applicant whose project is not selected may resubmit an application in a subsequent solicitation with an addendum indicating changes to the project application. The Secretary and the Administrator shall establish accountability measures for the management of the grants described in this section— to establish clear procedures for addressing late-arriving applications; to publicly communicate decisions to accept or reject applications; and to document major decisions in the application evaluation and project selection process through a decision memorandum or similar mechanism that provides a clear rationale for decisions. In awarding grants, the Secretary or Administrator, as appropriate, shall take measures to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable— an equitable geographic distribution of amounts; and an appropriate balance in addressing the needs of rural and urban communities. The Secretary or the Administrator, as appropriate, shall make available on the website of the Department at the end of each fiscal year an annual report that lists each project for which a grant has been provided under this section during that fiscal year. The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an assessment of the administrative establishment, solicitation, selection, and justification process with respect to the funding of grants described in this title. Not later than 1 year after the initial awarding of grants described in this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that describes— the adequacy and fairness of the process by which each project was selected, if applicable; the justification and criteria used for the selection of each project, if applicable.