[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9647 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9647
To establish, maintain, and expand frequent, reliable, interconnected
light rail transit service to expand racial, economic, and
environmental justice, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 21, 2022
Ms. Bush (for herself, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Espaillat, Ms.
Ocasio-Cortez, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Barragan, and Mr.
Evans) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish, maintain, and expand frequent, reliable, interconnected
light rail transit service to expand racial, economic, and
environmental justice, 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.
This Act may be cited as the ``Light Rail Transit Act''.
SEC. 2. LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, acting through
the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, shall
establish a program to provide grants to eligible public entities for
the design and implementation of covered light rail transit systems.
(b) Application.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, an
eligible public entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible public entity receiving a grant
under this section may use such grant for--
(1) the design and implementation of a covered light rail
transit system, including the design, acquisition, operations,
maintenance, construction, and leasing of required supporting
facilities, and integration and improvement of other connected
or nearby rail or bus corridors, bicycle infrastructure, and
pedestrian infrastructure;
(2) procuring and installing renewable energy to power
train infrastructure;
(3) the redesign, retrofit, renovation, update, and repair
of existing light rail systems to bring such systems up to the
standard of covered light rail transit systems;
(4) training current employees to effectively operate,
maintain, or otherwise adapt to new technologies relating to a
covered light rail transit system;
(5) operating costs to increase service frequencies on
light rail transit routes that otherwise conform with this Act;
(6) reducing or eliminating fares as part of eligible
projects; and
(7) public engagement and participatory planning processes
that meaningfully incorporate input from community members
impacted by the covered light rail transit systems, including
representatives from local labor organizations and other
community groups, including those described subsection (d)(4).
(d) Requirements.--As a condition of accepting a grant under this
section, an eligible public entity (other than a Tribal authority)
shall--
(1) agree to take steps, in consultation with community
groups and tenant advocates, to secure existing housing in
neighborhoods receiving benefits from such grant, including
through the use of rent control, rent stabilization, or other
methods to stabilize existing residents and prevent
gentrification residential displacement;
(2) ensure safety for covered light rail transit systems
funded by such a grant by employing Electric Vehicle
Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP)-certified electricians
for the installation and maintenance of the electric components
of the charging infrastructure;
(3) provide to the Secretary in the application for such a
grant information on what such steps the entity will take and
how the entity will carry out the activities described in
paragraph (1);
(4) develop transit-oriented development plans for the area
located around station stops that include new affordable
housing or public housing;
(5) provide to the Secretary a public engagement, outreach,
and education plan that illustrates the grantee's commitment to
meeting the mobility needs of the entire community that will be
served by the covered light rail transit system, including
strategies to incorporate input from local labor organizations
and other community groups, including environmental advocates,
racial justice advocates, tenant advocates, youth advocates,
transit advocates, and disability rights advocates; and
(6) certify that the covered light rail transit system
funded by such grant shall operate on an either flat-fare or
fare-free basis.
(e) Prohibition in Impact on Fares.--As a condition on receipt of a
grant under this section, an eligible public entity shall certify to
the Secretary that the fares for riding the covered light rail transit
system--
(1) shall not increase solely due to the improvements
carried out with funds provided under this section; and
(2) shall not increase for any reason for at least 1 year
after the completion of the project funded under this section.
(f) Priority for Economically Disadvantaged Communities.--In
carrying out the program under this section, the Secretary shall
prioritize projects located in economically disadvantaged communities.
SEC. 3. SPECIAL RULES FOR TRIBES.
(a) Set-Aside.--Contingent on sufficient qualifying applicants for
grants under this Act that are Tribal authorities, the Secretary shall
ensure that 5 percent of such grants are awarded to such applicants.
(b) Criteria for Consideration as Covered Light Rail Transit
System.--With respect to a grants provided to a Tribal authority,
notwithstanding section 5(2)(A), a transit system for which funds are
provided under this Act shall be considered a covered light rail
transit system by meeting 4 of the criteria listed in sections
5(2)(A)(x) and 7 of the criteria listed in section 5(2)(A)(xi).
SEC. 4. FUNDING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Federal Share.--
(1) In general.--The Federal share of a grant under this
Act shall not exceed 85 percent.
(2) Projects in economically disadvantaged communities.--
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Federal share for a project
located in and benefitting an economically disadvantaged
community may be up to 100 percent if the Secretary determines
that--
(A) the project is part of an approved
transportation plan required under sections 5303 and
5304 of title 49, United States Code; and
(B) the applicant has, or will have--
(i) the legal, financial, and technical
capacity to carry out the project, including
the safety and security aspects of the project;
(ii) satisfactory continuing control over
the use of the equipment or facilities; and
(iii) the technical and financial capacity
to maintain new and existing equipment and
facilities.
(b) Prohibition on Use of Funds.--None of the funds made available
by this Act may be used to employ or otherwise enter into a contract
for local, State, or Federal law enforcement officers or fare
collectors who are armed.
(c) Special Rule.--No financial assistance under chapter 53 of
title 49, United States Code, may be used for an automated vehicle
providing public transportation unless the recipient of such assistance
that proposes to deploy an automated vehicle providing public
transportation certifies to the Secretary that the deployment does not
eliminate or reduce the frequency of existing public transportation
service.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $60,000,000,000 total for fiscal years 2024 through 2028
to carry out this Act.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Eligible public entity.--The term ``eligible public
entity'' means a local, Tribal, or State governmental
authority, including metropolitan planning organizations,
transit agencies, port authorities, and regional entities, or
multiple adjacent authorities submitting a joint application.
(2) Covered light rail transit system.--The term ``covered
light rail transit system'' means a publicly owned light rail
transit system that--
(A) has--
(i) accessibility for all customers,
including those who are physically, visually,
or hearing-impaired, as well as those with
temporary disabilities, the elderly, children,
parents with strollers, and other load-carrying
passengers;
(ii) all rail lines, routes, and stations
in system follow single unifying brand of
entire light rail transit system;
(iii) functioning real-time and up-to-date
static passenger information system-wide that
is available during all hours of operation;
(iv) physical transfer points integrated
with other public transit;
(v) safe and accessible pedestrian design
at each station, with a continuous walking path
network along the entire corridor;
(vi) service frequency no less than 6
trains per hour on all routes;
(vii) at least 3 elements out of--
(I) off board fare collection;
(II) traffic signal priority
(III) a system that includes
multiple routes or is connected to an
existing route;
(IV) a fare system that can be
integrated with other modes of
transport; or
(V) platform level boarding; and
(viii) at least 8 elements out of--
(I) multiple routes sharing
corridors;
(II) limited and express services;
(III) a full service control
center;
(IV) location in 1 of the
locality's top 10 demand corridors;
(V) late night and weekend service;
(VI) 90 percent of stations offer
seating, are weather-protected, well-
lit, and at least 8 feet wide;
(VII) all stations have sliding
doors;
(VIII) secure bicycle parking at
least in higher-demand stations and
standard bicycle racks elsewhere;
(IX) bicycle lanes on or parallel
to 75 percent of the corridor;
(X) bicycle sharing available at 50
percent or more of stations;
(XI) elimination or prohibition on
parking minimums in the area of the
system; and
(XII) service frequency of no less
than 7 trains per hour on all routes;
(B) powers trains and train infrastructure with
renewable energy;
(C) uses labor standards at least as protective as
the labor standards described in section 5333 of title
49, United States Code; and
(D) meets domestic assembly qualifications for its
trains.
(3) Domestic assembly qualifications.--The term ``domestic
assembly qualifications'' means, with respect to any qualifying
train, that the final assembly of such a train occurs at a
plant, factory, or other place which is located in the United
States and operating under a collective bargaining agreement
negotiated by an employee organization (as defined in section
412(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), determined in
a manner consistent with section 7701(a)(46) of such Code.
(4) Economically disadvantaged community.--The term
``economically disadvantaged community'' means an economically
disadvantaged community, including an environmental justice
community, an underserved community, or a community located in
an area of persistent poverty (as such term is defined in
section 101 of title 23, United States Code).
(5) Platform level boarding.--The term ``platform level
boarding'' means a platform for boarding a train that contains
no more than 0.5 inch vertical gap between the train floor and
the station platform.
(6) Renewable energy.--The term ``renewable energy'' means
solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal energy.
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