,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #efda ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #af1 #bjbj,mr4 ,de,saulnier introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure ,a ,,bill ,to amend title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 to provide grants and develop value capture policy4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,incentivizing ,value ,capture for ,greener ,transportation ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,in #bjah1 greenhouse gas emissions 7,,ghg7 rose sharply by #c4d percent1 the second-largest annual gain in more than #bj years1 and ,,ghg emissions have grown by approximately #a4e percent every year over the last decade4 7#b7 ,greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector1 including cars and trucks1 are the largest source of ,,ghg emissions in the ,united ,states with the transportation sector emitting #a1ijj1jjj1jjj tons of carbon dioxide 7,,co#b7 annually4 7#c7 ,annual vehicle miles traveled 7,,vmt7 in the ,united ,states have nearly tripled since #aiga1 rising to #c1baj1jjj1jjj1jjj in #bjah4 7#d7 ,consequently1 in #bjah1 ,americans lost an average of #ig hours a year due to congestion1 costing them nearly #hg1jjj1jjj1jjj4 7#e7 ,residents in communities located near high-capacity transit are twice as likely not to own a car as residents who live elsewhere1 and they own half as many cars per household4 7#f7 ,increasing transit ridership and improving our transit systems in urban1 suburban1 and exurban areas1 using innovative solutions such as land value capture1 will help reduce ,,vmt1 congestion1 ,,ghg emissions1 and reliance on fossil fuels and vehicles4 ,by reducing such factors1 the ,united ,states can help curb the effects of climate change4 #c4 ,value capture policy and planning program ,chapter #ec of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #ecda4 ,technical assistance and value capture policy 7a7 ,technical assistance and policy development 7#a7 ,technical assistance grants ,the ,secretary may make a grant available to a ,state or local government if the ,secretary determines that such grant will assist recipients under this section to-- 7,a7 develop more ,state and local value capture mechanisms for long-term funding that promote mobility1 public transportation1 and affordable transit-oriented development2 7,b7 improve public transportation and mobility2 and 7,c7 develop strategic partnerships that create greater self-help capacity that leads to greater long term and robust investments in public transportation1 mobility1 inclusive economic development1 and affordable transit-oriented development4 7#b7 ,performance benchmarks and maintenance of effort 7,a7 ,performance benchmarks ,to be eligible for a grant under this section1 the grantee shall include in its application an explanation of how the grant funds will demonstrably increase transit capacity and ridership and reduce carbon dioxide emissions1 vehicle miles traveled1 and congestion4 7,b7 ,maintenance of effort 7i7 ,in general and possible reduction ,in addition to the eligibility requirements of subparagraph 7,a71 a grantee also needs to include in its application a certification to maintain the same funding level as the aggregate expenditures at or above the average level of expenditures in the #b fiscal years prior to the date of enactment of this section4 ,if a ,state or local government that receives a grant under this section reduces its combined fiscal effort for value capture initiatives and programs or the aggregate expenditures within the ,state or local government to support value capture1 public transportation1 or affordable transit-oriented development programs for any fiscal year that a ,state or local government receives a grant authorized under this section relative to the previous fiscal year1 the ,secretary1 except as provided in clause 7ii71 shall reduce support for such ,state or local government under this section by the same amount as the decline in ,state or local effort for such fiscal year4 7ii7 ,waiver ,the ,secretary may waive the requirements of this subparagraph if-- 7,i7 the ,secretary determines that a waiver would be appropriate due to a precipitous decline in the financial resources of a ,state or local government as a result of unforeseen economic hardship or a natural disaster that has necessitated across-the-board reductions in ,state or local services1 including value capture1 public transportation1 and affordable transit-oriented development programs2 or 7,,ii7 due to the circumstances of a ,state or local government requiring reductions in specific programs1 if the ,state or local government presents to the ,secretary a justification and demonstration why other programs could not be reduced and how value capture1 public transportation1 and affordable transit-oriented development programs in the ,state will not be disproportionately harmed by such ,state or local action4 7#c7 ,davis-,bacon ,the ,secretary shall ensure that laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors in construction work financed by a grant made under this section will be paid wages not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality1 as determined by the ,secretary of ,labor under subchapter ,,iv of chapter #ca of title #dj 7commonly known as the ,davis-,bacon ,act74 7#d7 ,enforcement ,the ,secretary may revoke grant funds provided under this section if a grantee fails to implement the maintenance of effort under paragraph 7#b77;,b7 and ,davis-,bacon provisions referred to paragraph 7#c74 7#e7 ,evaluation ,not later than #c years after receiving a grant under this section1 the grantee shall assess the effectiveness of the use of the funds by evaluating whether the funds created a demonstrable increase in transit capacity and ridership and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions1 vehicle miles traveled1 and congestion4 7#f7 ,technical assistance ,the ,secretary1 through a competitive bid process1 may enter into contracts1 cooperative agreements1 and other agreements with national nonprofit organizations and universities that have the appropriate demonstrated capacity to provide value capture-related technical assistance under this subsection1 including guidance on implementing foreign value capture models within the ,united ,states4 7#g7 ,supplement not supplant ,grant funds received under this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant other ,federal1 ,state1 and local public funds expended on public value capture and affordable transit-oriented development programs in the ,state or local government4 7#h7 ,value capture policy requirements 7,a7 ,value capture policy ,not later than ,october #a of the fiscal year that begins #b years after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,secretary1 in collaboration with ,state departments of transportation1 metropolitan planning organizations1 and regional council of governments1 shall establish voluntary and consensus-based value capture standards1 policies1 and best practices for ,state and local value capture mechanisms that promote greater investments in public transportation and affordable transit-oriented development4 7,b7 ,report ,not later than #ae months after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,secretary shall make available to the public a report cataloging examples of ,state and local laws and policies that provide for value capture and value sharing that promote greater investment in public transportation and affordable transit-oriented development4 7,c7 ,best ,practices ,based on the report required under subparagraph 7,b71 the ,secretary shall identify and disseminate examples of best practices where ,states and local governments have adopted value capture and value sharing mechanisms that have successfully provided for greater investment in public transportation and affordable transit-oriented development4 7b7 ,definitions ,for purposes of this section-- 7#a7 the term value capture means capturing a portion of the incremental economic value created by government investments1 activities1 and policies that may generate alternative revenue streams1 assets1 or other financial value for which could assist in funding those investments and activities2 7#b7 the term transit-oriented development means a mix of commercial1 residential1 office1 and entertainment centered around or located near a public transportation station that promotes affordable housing and commercial space2 7#c7 the term affordable housing means housing1 the cost of which does not exceed #cj percent of the income of a family2 and 7#d7 the term affordable commercial space means commercial space dedicated to either protect or promote small and disadvantage businesses provided below market rent value4 4