MORE DOT Grants Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3594 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 22, 2023 Mr. STEWART introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 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 man- aged 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 Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘More Opportunities 4 for Rural Economies from DOT Grants Act’’ or the 5 ‘‘MORE DOT Grants Act’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:32 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3594.IH H3594 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 3594 IH SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 1 In this Act: 2 (1) HIGH-DENSITY PUBLIC LAND COUNTY.— 3 The term ‘‘High-Density Public Land County’’ 4 means a county (or equivalent jurisdiction) of a 5 State or territory of the United States— 6 (A) that has a population of not more than 7 100,000 people, according to the most recent 8 annual estimates of population by the Bureau 9 of the Census; and 10 (B) in which more than 50 percent of the 11 land is owned or managed by the Federal Gov- 12 ernment. 13 (2) QUALIFYING GRANT PROGRAM.—The term 14 ‘‘qualifying grant program’’ means— 15 (A) the Better Utilizing Investments to Le- 16 verage Development (BUILD) Transportation 17 discretionary grant program of the Department 18 of Transportation; 19 (B) the Infrastructure for Rebuilding 20 America (INFRA) grant program of the De- 21 partment of Transportation; 22 (C) the public transportation innovation 23 grant program established under section 5312 24 of title 49, United States Code; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:32 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3594.IH H3594 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 3594 IH (D) the public transportation safety pro- 1 gram established under section 5329 of title 49, 2 United States Code; 3 (E) the Federal lands access program 4 under section 204 of title 23, United States 5 Code; 6 (F) the airport improvement program es- 7 tablished under subchapter I of chapter 471 of 8 title 49, United States Code; 9 (G) the consolidated rail infrastructure and 10 safety improvements program under section 11 22907 of title 49, United States Code; and 12 (H) any other discretionary grant program 13 of the Department of Transportation under 14 which grants are awarded to— 15 (i) counties; 16 (ii) other units of local government; or 17 (iii) Tribal governments. 18 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 19 the Secretary of Transportation. 20 (4) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 21 government’’ means the recognized governing body 22 of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, 23 pueblo, village, community, component band, or com- 24 ponent reservation, individually identified (including 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:32 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3594.IH H3594 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 3594 IH parenthetically) in the list published most recently as 1 of the date of enactment of this Act pursuant to sec- 2 tion 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe 3 List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131). 4 SEC. 3. GRANTS. 5 (a) REDUCTION IN LOCAL MATCHING REQUIRE- 6 MENTS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 7 with respect to a High-Density Public Land County and 8 any unit of local government or Tribal government within 9 a High-Density Public Land County, any requirement for 10 local matching funds under a qualifying grant program 11 shall be reduced by 50 percent. 12 (b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—On request of a High- 13 Density Public Land County or any unit of local govern- 14 ment or Tribal government within a High-Density Public 15 Land County, the Secretary shall provide additional tech- 16 nical assistance to the High-Density Public Land County, 17 unit of local government, or Tribal government before and 18 during the annual application period for each qualifying 19 grant program. 20 (c) PRIORITY.— 21 (1) APPLICATION APPROVAL.—In approving ap- 22 plications for a qualifying grant program, the Sec- 23 retary shall give priority to an application from a 24 High-Density Public Land County, unit of local gov- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:32 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3594.IH H3594 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 3594 IH ernment within a High-Density Public Land County, 1 or Tribal government within a High-Density Public 2 Land County that has not received support under 3 the qualifying grant program during the 10-year pe- 4 riod preceding the date of the application. 5 (2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER SUP- 6 PORT.—In carrying out subsections (b) and (e), the 7 Secretary may give priority to a Tribal government 8 within a High-Density Public Land County. 9 (d) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—In approving appli- 10 cations for a qualifying grant program, the Secretary— 11 (1) shall give special consideration to an appli- 12 cation from a High-Density Public Land County or 13 unit of local government within a High-Density Pub- 14 lic Land County with respect to any rural set-aside 15 designated for the applicable qualifying grant pro- 16 gram by an Act of Congress; and 17 (2) may give special consideration to an appli- 18 cation from a Tribal government within a High-Den- 19 sity Public Land County with respect to a rural set- 20 aside described in paragraph (1). 21 (e) OTHER SUPPORT.—The Secretary may provide 22 additional support, as the Secretary determines to be ap- 23 propriate, for a High-Density Public Land County or a 24 unit of local government or Tribal government within a 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:32 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3594.IH H3594 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 3594 IH High-Density Public Land County, including by consid- 1 ering and, if appropriate, offering flexibility with respect 2 to any requirement of, or barrier to applying for or receiv- 3 ing assistance under, a qualifying grant program if the 4 requirement or barrier relates to— 5 (1) scoring criteria relating to numerical size 6 and impact, such as the number of jobs created or 7 the number of people served, which disadvantage 8 small and isolated communities; 9 (2) any requirement that an applicant for a 10 qualifying grant program partner with other institu- 11 tions, such as community colleges or foundations, 12 which may not operate in the jurisdiction of the 13 High-Density Public Land County, unit of local gov- 14 ernment, or Tribal government seeking assistance 15 under the qualifying grant program; 16 (3) any financial or cash-on-hand requirement 17 that a High-Density Public Land County or a unit 18 of local government or Tribal government within a 19 High-Density Public Land County cannot meet for 20 reasons other than any financial constraints to 21 which the High-Density Public Land County, unit of 22 local government, or Tribal government is subject; or 23 (4) an overly complicated or overly technical ap- 24 plication for a qualifying grant program that deters 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:32 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3594.IH H3594 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 3594 IH High-Density Public Land Counties or units of local 1 government or Tribal governments within High-Den- 2 sity Public Land Counties from applying for the 3 qualifying grant program. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:32 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3594.IH H3594 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB