[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5156 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5156
To promote the use of smart technologies and systems in communities,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 3, 2021
Ms. Clarke of New York introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To promote the use of smart technologies and systems in communities,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Smart Technologies
for Accessible and Resilient Transportation Act'' or the ``START Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Purpose.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Smart community resource center.
Sec. 5. Smart Cities Challenge grant extension program.
Sec. 6. GAO study.
Sec. 7. Reports to Secretary of Transportation and Congress.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to promote the adoption of smart
technologies and systems to reduce transportation costs, traffic
congestion, air pollution, energy use, and carbon emissions, and
enhance transportation access, equity, efficiency, resilience, safety,
security, and sustainability for communities of all sizes by--
(1) providing assistance to local governments interested in
implementing smart city or community transportation
technologies;
(2) creating a smart community resource center; and
(3) promoting the quality and performance of smart city
technologies while protecting--
(A) the physical and cyber security of data and
smart city technology systems; and
(B) privacy.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy and Commerce
of the House of Representatives.
(2) Data.--The term ``data'' includes information and
images.
(3) Intelligent transportation system.--The term
``intelligent transportation system'' means a system that--
(A) integrates advanced communications technologies
into transportation infrastructure and vehicles; and
(B) encompasses wireless and traditional
communications-based information and electronic
technologies.
(4) Large-sized city.--The term ``large-sized city'' means
a beneficiary city with a population of 850,000 or greater,
according to the most recent annual estimates of resident
population by the Bureau of the Census.
(5) Medium-sized city.--The term ``medium-sized city''
means a beneficiary city with a population between 200,000 and
850,000, according to the most recent annual estimates of
resident population by the Bureau of the Census.
(6) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' means a
beneficiary jurisdiction with a population between 10,000 and
75,000 people, not located within an urbanized area or cluster,
according to the most recent annual estimates of resident
population by the Bureau of the Census.
(7) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the
Secretary, acting in coordination with--
(A) the Secretary of Energy;
(B) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
and
(C) the Director of the National Science
Foundation.
(8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Transportation.
(9) Security solutions.--The term ``security solutions''
means video camera equipment, emergency light and panic alarms,
information technology and information systems.
(10) Small city.--The term ``small city'' means a
beneficiary city with a population between 75,000 and 200,000,
according to the most recent annual estimates of resident
population by the Bureau of the Census.
(11) Smart city or community.--
(A) In general.--The term ``smart city or
community'' means a community in which innovative,
advanced, secure, and reliable information and
communication technologies and related mechanisms are
applied--
(i) to improve the quality of life for
residents;
(ii) to reduce resource consumption by
increasing the efficiency and cost
effectiveness of civic operations and services;
(iii) to promote economic growth; and
(iv) to create a community that is safer
and more secure, sustainable, resilient,
livable, and workable.
(B) Inclusions.--The term ``smart city or
community'' includes a local jurisdiction that installs
smart city technology that--
(i) gathers and incorporates data from
systems, devices, and sensors embedded in civic
systems and infrastructure to improve the
effectiveness and efficiency of civic
operations and services;
(ii) aggregates and analyzes gathered data;
(iii) communicates the analysis and data in
a variety of formats;
(iv) makes corresponding improvements to
civic systems and services based on gathered
data; and
(v) integrates measures--
(I) to ensure the resilience of
civic systems against cybersecurity
threats and physical and social
vulnerabilities and breaches;
(II) to protect the private data of
residents; and
(III) to measure the impact of
smart city or community technologies on
the effectiveness and efficiency civic
operations and services.
(12) Smart city technology.--The term ``smart city
technology'' means technology and systems that gather and
incorporate data from systems, devices, and sensors embedded in
civic systems, security systems, transportation and traffic
management systems, and infrastructure to improve the
effectiveness and efficiency of civic operations by--
(A) aggregating and analyzing collected data;
(B) communicating the analysis and data in a
variety of forms;
(C) corresponding improvements to civic systems and
services based on gathered data;
(D) providing innovative services in multiple modes
of transport and traffic management to enable users to
be safer, better coordinated and connected, and better
informed; and
(E) integrating measures--
(i) to protect private data of residents;
and
(ii) to measure the impact of smart city or
community technologies on the effectiveness and
efficiency of civic operations and services,
including digital inclusion and broadband
adoption.
(13) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) a State;
(B) the District of Columbia;
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
(D) any other territory or possession of the United
States.
(14) Urban area.--The term ``urban area'' means a area
designated as an urbanized area by the Bureau of the Census
with a population of 50,000 residents or more.
SEC. 4. SMART COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretaries, in coordination with the heads
of any other applicable Federal agencies, shall create, publish, and
make available to the public online a resource center, to be known as
the ``Smart Community Resource Center'', that includes a compilation of
resources or links to resources for States and local communities to use
in developing and implementing--
(1) intelligent transportation system programs; or
(2) smart city or community transportation programs.
(b) Inclusions.--Information provided by the resource center shall
include--
(1) available examples of Federal guides, programs, and
resources for intelligent transportation systems or smart city
or community transportation programs, including technical
assistance, education, training, funding, and examples of
intelligent transportation systems or smart city or community
transportation programs implemented by States and local
communities, available from--
(A) the Department of Transportation;
(B) other Federal agencies; and
(C) non-Federal sources;
(2) reports or databases with the results of intelligent
transportation system or smart city or community transportation
programs;
(3) examples of local governments engaging private sector
entities in order to implement smart city or community
solutions including private-public partnership models, that
could be used to leverage private sector funding, reduce
transportation costs, and enhance security resiliency;
(4) any best practices developed or lessons learned from
intelligent transportation system or smart city or community
transportation programs; and
(5) such other resources as the Secretary determines to be
appropriate.
(c) Deadline.--The Secretary shall establish the resource center by
the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
(d) Updates.--The Secretary shall ensure that the resource center
is updated on a regular basis.
(e) Existing Guides.--In creating, publishing, and maintaining the
guide under subsection (a), the Secretaries shall consider Federal
guides published before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act
relating to smart city or community goals, activities, and best
practices--
(1) to prevent duplication of efforts by the Federal
Government; and
(2) to leverage complementary efforts in effect at the time
such guide is created.
SEC. 5. SMART CITIES CHALLENGE GRANT EXTENSION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall develop
and implement an annual competition for the Smart Cities Challenge
under which the Secretary shall provide grants on a competitive basis
to communities of all sizes to implement smart transportation proposals
and demonstrate how advanced technologies can be integrated into city
planning and utilized to mitigate transportation challenges related to
safety, mobility, and climate change.
(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, an entity shall be--
(1) a State or local government;
(2) a tribal government;
(3) a transit agency or authority;
(4) a public toll authority;
(5) a metropolitan planning organization;
(6) any other subdivision of a State or local government;
(7) a nonprofit organization;
(8) a multijurisdictional group applying through a single
lead applicant; or
(9) a consortia of academic institutions applying through a
single lead applicant.
(c) Applications.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this
section shall submit to the Secretary an application at the time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require. An eligible entity may only submit 1 application.
(d) Priority.--In selecting eligible entities to receive grants
under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize applicants that--
(1) identify transportation challenges and describe how
smart city technologies and systems can address such
challenges;
(2) determine what technologies have the most potential to
address the challenges identified;
(3) identify what data may be collected and analyzed using
these technologies and how such data would be used to continue
to address identified transportation challenges;
(4) incorporate relevant security solutions based on the
scope and necessity for such smart city project;
(5) represent diverse geographic areas of the United
States;
(6) represent communities of all sizes;
(7) address communities that have significant underserved
and disadvantaged populations; and
(8) comply with any other requirements that the Secretary
may identify.
(e) Non-Federal Share.--The non-Federal share of the cost of a
project for which a grant is awarded under this section shall be a
minimum of 20 percent of the total cost.
(f) Amount of Grants.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this paragraph, and for every fiscal year through fiscal
year 2025, the Secretary shall award grants to not less than 6 eligible
entities. The amount of a grant awarded under this section shall be a
minimum of $5,000,000 and a maximum of $40,000,000. The total amount of
funds awarded under this section shall not exceed $250,000,000 for one
calendar year.
(g) Planning Grants.--The Secretary may award planning grants
ranging from $50,000 to $400,000 to assist eligible entities in
conducting research into the benefits, challenges, and feasibility of
smart city technologies for communities within their jurisdiction.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $250,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2022 through 2025. Additionally, the Secretary may reallocate
unobligated funds to carry out this section.
(i) Coordination.--The Secretary may coordinate with non-profit
foundations and other Federal agencies funding relevant smart city
efforts, including the National Science Foundation, National
Institutions of Standards and Technology, Department of Defense,
Department of Energy, and other entities that the Secretary deems
appropriate.
SEC. 6. GAO STUDY.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study to
identify--
(1) financial and procurement mechanisms currently
available to public and private entities to fund smart city or
community activities and associated demonstration projects,
including ``pay for performance'' financing that could deliver
measurable and verifiable market and non-market values to smart
cities or communities;
(2) new, innovative financial and procurement mechanisms
under development or used experimentally that may be available,
in the near term, to public and private entities to fund smart
city or community activities and associated demonstration
projects;
(3) barriers to creative financing solutions for those
activities and projects, including procurement barriers faced
by State and local governments; and
(4) ways to leverage private sector investments in smart
cities and communities.
SEC. 7. REPORTS TO SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION AND CONGRESS.
(a) Quarterly Report.--Each recipient of a Smart Cities Challenge
grant under section 5 shall submit a quarterly report to the Secretary
regarding the development, implementation, and operation of the
project.
(b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, and each year thereafter through 2026, the
Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a
report that includes--
(1) pertinent updates regarding the development, list of
recipients, implementation, and operation of projects funded
under Smart Cities Challenge;
(2) the impact of such projects on the transportation
systems within the area served by the project and review of
appropriate security protocols integrated into the project;
(3) the impact of such projects on frontline communities,
including communities of color, women, veterans, and the
elderly;
(4) the extent to which the goals of the grant program have
been met; and
(5) any recommendations for revisions or improvements to
the Smart Cities Challenge to guide future deployment
activities.
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