[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2619 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2619
To improve the process for awarding grants under certain programs of
the Department of Transportation to certain counties in which the
majority of land is owned or managed by the Federal Government and to
other units of local government and Tribal governments in those
counties, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 31, 2025
Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself, Mr. Daines, and Mr. Schiff) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve the process for awarding grants under certain programs of
the Department of Transportation to certain counties in which the
majority of land is owned or managed by the Federal Government and to
other units of local government and Tribal governments in those
counties, 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 ``More Opportunities for Rural
Economies from DOT Grants Act'' or the ``MORE DOT Grants Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) High-density public land county.--The term ``High-
Density Public Land County'' means a county (or equivalent
jurisdiction) of a State or territory of the United States--
(A) that has a population of not more than 100,000
people, according to the most recent annual estimates
of population by the Bureau of the Census; and
(B) in which more than 50 percent of the land is
owned or managed by the Federal Government.
(2) Qualifying grant program.--The term ``qualifying grant
program'' means--
(A) the Local and Regional Project Assistance
Program established under section 6702 of title 49,
United States Code (commonly known as the ``Better
Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD)
grant program'' and formerly known as the ``Rebuilding
American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity
(RAISE) grant program'' and the ``Transportation
Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)
discretionary grant program'');
(B) the national infrastructure project assistance
program (commonly known as the ``Mega Grant program'')
established by section 6701 of title 49, United States
Code;
(C) the nationally significant multimodal freight
and highway projects program (commonly known as the
``Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant
program'') established by section 117 of title 23,
United States Code;
(D) the rural surface transportation grant program
established under section 173 of title 23, United
States Code;
(E) the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program
established under section 11509 of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (23 U.S.C. 101 note; Public Law
117-58);
(F) the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing
Transportation (SMART) Grant Program established under
section 25005 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act (23 U.S.C. 502 note; Public Law 117-58);
(G) the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities
competitive grant program established under section
5339(b) of title 49, United States Code;
(H) the public transportation Low or No Emission
Vehicle Program established under section 5339(c) of
title 49, United States Code;
(I) the public transportation innovation grant
program established under section 5312 of title 49,
United States Code;
(J) the public transportation safety program
established under section 5329 of title 49, United
States Code;
(K) the Federal lands access program under section
204 of title 23, United States Code;
(L) the airport improvement program established
under subchapter I of chapter 471 of title 49, United
States Code;
(M) the consolidated rail infrastructure and safety
improvements program under section 22907 of title 49,
United States Code; and
(N) any other discretionary grant program of the
Department of Transportation under which grants are
awarded to--
(i) counties;
(ii) other units of local government; or
(iii) Tribal governments.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Transportation.
(4) Tribal government.--The term ``Tribal government''
means the recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska
Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community,
component band, or component reservation, individually
identified (including parenthetically) in the list published
most recently as of the date of enactment of this Act pursuant
to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List
Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).
SEC. 3. GRANTS.
(a) Reduction in Local Matching Requirements.--Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, with respect to a High-Density Public Land
County and any unit of local government or Tribal government within a
High-Density Public Land County, any requirement for local matching
funds under a qualifying grant program shall be reduced by 50 percent.
(b) Technical Assistance.--On request of a High-Density Public Land
County or any unit of local government or Tribal government within a
High-Density Public Land County, the Secretary shall provide additional
technical assistance to the High-Density Public Land County, unit of
local government, or Tribal government before and during the annual
application period for each qualifying grant program.
(c) Priority.--
(1) Application approval.--In approving applications for a
qualifying grant program, the Secretary shall give priority to
an application from a High-Density Public Land County, unit of
local government within a High-Density Public Land County, or
Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County that
has not received support under the qualifying grant program
during the 10-year period preceding the date of the
application.
(2) Technical assistance and other support.--In carrying
out subsections (b) and (e), the Secretary may give priority to
a Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County.
(d) Special Consideration.--In approving applications for a
qualifying grant program, the Secretary--
(1) shall give special consideration to an application from
a High-Density Public Land County or unit of local government
within a High-Density Public Land County with respect to any
rural set-aside designated for the applicable qualifying grant
program by an Act of Congress; and
(2) may give special consideration to an application from a
Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County with
respect to a rural set-aside described in paragraph (1).
(e) Other Support.--The Secretary may provide additional support,
as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, for a High-Density
Public Land County or a unit of local government or Tribal government
within a High-Density Public Land County, including by considering and,
if appropriate, offering flexibility with respect to any requirement
of, or barrier to applying for or receiving assistance under, a
qualifying grant program if the requirement or barrier relates to--
(1) scoring criteria relating to numerical size and impact,
such as the number of jobs created or the number of people
served, which disadvantage small and isolated communities;
(2) any requirement that an applicant for a qualifying
grant program partner with other institutions, such as
community colleges or foundations, which may not operate in the
jurisdiction of the High-Density Public Land County, unit of
local government, or Tribal government seeking assistance under
the qualifying grant program;
(3) any financial or cash-on-hand requirement that a High-
Density Public Land County or a unit of local government or
Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County
cannot meet for reasons other than any financial constraints to
which the High-Density Public Land County, unit of local
government, or Tribal government is subject; or
(4) an overly complicated or overly technical application
for a qualifying grant program that deters High-Density Public
Land Counties or units of local government or Tribal
governments within High-Density Public Land Counties from
applying for the qualifying grant program.
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