[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 980 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 980
To establish an intermodal transportation infrastructure pilot program,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 12, 2025
Mr. Warner (for himself, Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. Lujan) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish an intermodal transportation infrastructure pilot program,
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 ``Alleviating Spaceport Traffic by
Rewarding Operators Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PILOT
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may establish a pilot program to
issue grants to operators of launch and reentry sites for projects to
construct, repair, maintain, or improve transportation infrastructure
and facilities at such sites.
(b) Pilot Program Qualifications.--The Secretary may enter into
agreements under this section to issue a grant to an operator only if
the operator--
(1) has submitted an application to the Secretary in such
form, at such time, and containing such information as
prescribed by the Secretary;
(2) demonstrates to the Secretary's satisfaction that the
project for which the application has been submitted is for a
permitted use under subsection (c); and
(3) agrees to maintain such records relating to the grant
as the Secretary may require and to make such records available
to the Secretary or the Comptroller General of the United
States upon request.
(c) Permitted Use of Pilot Program Grants.--An operator may use a
grant provided under this section for a project to construct, repair,
maintain, or improve infrastructure and facilities that--
(1) are located at, or adjacent to, a launch or reentry
site;
(2) directly enable or support transportation safety or
covered transportation activities; and
(3) shall be made generally available subject to reasonable
commercial and other terms as appropriate.
(d) Pilot Program Grants.--
(1) Grant formula.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, at the beginning of each fiscal year after
fiscal year 2026, the Secretary may issue to an operator that
qualifies for the pilot program under subsection (b) a grant in
an amount equal to the sum of--
(A) $250,000 for each launch or reentry operation
under a license described in section 50905 of title 51,
United States Code, conducted from the applicable
launch or reentry site or at any adjacent Federal
launch range in the previous fiscal year; and
(B) $100,000 for each launch or reentry operation
conducted under a permit (as defined in section 50902
of title 51, United States Code) from the applicable
launch or reentry site or at any adjacent Federal
launch range in the previous fiscal year.
(2) Maximum grant.--Except as provided in subsection
(e)(5), a grant issued to an operator under this subsection
shall not exceed $2,500,000 for a fiscal year.
(3) Adjacency.--
(A) In general.--In issuing a grant to an operator
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall determine
whether a launch or reentry site is adjacent to a
Federal launch range.
(B) Limitation.--In the event that more than 1
operator adjacent to a Federal launch range seeks
funding under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
determine which operator receives the grant based on
criteria set forth in section 50901(b)(4) of title 51,
United States Code.
(C) Multiple launch or reentry sites operated by 1
operator.--If an operator holds a license to operate
more than 1 launch site or more than 1 reentry site
that are adjacent to a Federal launch range, the
Secretary shall consider such launch or reentry sites
as 1 launch or reentry site for purposes of
subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1).
(e) Supplemental Grants in Support of State, Local, or Private
Matching.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may issue a supplemental
grant to an operator, subject to the requirements of this
subsection.
(2) Dollar-for-dollar matching.--If a qualified entity
provides an operator an amount equal to or greater than the
amount of a grant provided in a fiscal year under subsection
(d) (for the explicit purpose of matching such grant), the
Secretary may issue a supplemental grant to the operator that
is equal to 25 percent of such grant in the following fiscal
year.
(3) Additional non-federal matching.--If a qualified entity
provides an operator an amount equal to or greater than 2 times
the amount of a grant provided in a fiscal year to the operator
under subsection (d) (for the explicit purpose of matching such
grant), the Secretary may issue a supplemental grant to the
operator that is equal to 50 percent of such grant in the
following fiscal year.
(4) Supplemental grant limitations.--
(A) Match timing.--The Secretary may issue a
supplemental grant under paragraph (2) or (3) only if
an amount provided by a qualified entity is provided to
the operator in the same fiscal year as the grant
issued under subsection (d).
(B) Non-duplication of matching grants.--If the
Secretary issues a supplemental grant to the operator
of a launch site under paragraph (3), the Secretary may
not issue a supplemental grant under paragraph (2) to
the same operator in the same fiscal year.
(5) Non-application of grant ceiling.--The limitation on a
grant amount under subsection (d)(2) shall not apply to
supplemental grants issued under this subsection.
(f) Funding.--
(1) Pilot program grant funds.--The grants issued under
this section shall be issued from funds made available out of
amounts available under section 106(k) of title 49, United
States Code.
(2) Maximum annual limit on pilot program.--
(A) In general.--The total amount of all grants
issued under this section shall not exceed $20,000,000
in any fiscal year.
(B) Grant reduction.--In complying with
subparagraph (A), the Secretary--
(i) may proportionally reduce the amount
of, or decline to issue, a supplemental grant
under subsection (e); and
(ii) if the reduction under clause (i) is
insufficient, shall proportionally reduce
grants issued under subsection (d).
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered transportation activity.--The term ``covered
transportation activity'' means the movement of people or
property to, from, or within a launch site and the necessary or
incidental activities associated with such movement through the
use of--
(A) a vehicle (as defined in section 4 of title 1,
United States Code);
(B) a vessel (as defined in section 3 of title 1,
United States Code);
(C) a railroad (as defined in section 20102 of
title 49, United States Code);
(D) an aircraft (as defined in section 40102 of
title 49, United States Code); or
(E) a pipeline facility (as defined in section
60101 of title 49, United States Code).
(2) Launch; launch site; launch vehicle; reentry site;
reentry vehicle.--The terms ``launch'', ``launch site'',
``launch vehicle'', ``reentry site'', and ``reentry vehicle''
have the meanings given those terms in section 50902 of title
51, United States Code.
(3) Operator.--The term ``operator'' means a person
licensed by the Secretary to operate a launch or reentry site.
(4) Qualified entity.--The term ``qualified entity'' means
a State, local, territorial, or Tribal government or private
sector entity, or any combination thereof.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Transportation.
(h) Pilot Program Sunset.--This section shall cease to be effective
on October 1, 2030.
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