,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gifb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #g1 #bjbj,mr4
 ,de,saulnier introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend   
titles #bc and #di1 ,united ,states     
,code1 to improve public understanding  
of how transportation investments are   
made by public agencies through         
establishing greater transparency and   
accountability processes4  #a4 ,short   
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,metropolitan ,planning ,enhancement    
,act4  #b4 ,metropolitan transportation 
planning  7a7 ,development of           
transportation plan ,section #acd7;i7 of
 title #bc1 ,united ,states ,code1 is   
amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating         
paragraphs 7#g7 and 7#h7 as paragraphs  
7#h7 and 7#i72 and  7#b7 by inserting   
after paragraph 7#f7 the following3     
7#g7 ,project selection transparency and
 accountability ,projects included in   

the adopted transportation plan shall be
 selected through a publicly available  
transparent process that includes use of
 criteria that directly support factors 
in subsection 7h71 the national         
transportation goals under section      
#aej7;b71 and applicable ,state         
transportation goals4 ,the criteria     
shall be used to publicly categorize the
 highest performing projects4  4  7b7   
,metropolitan tip ,section              
#acd7;j77#b77;,a7 of title #bc1 ,united 
,states ,code is amended by adding after
 the period at the end the following3   
,projects included in the priority list 
shall come from the highest performing  
category of projects identified in the  
transportation plan under subsection    
7i77#g74 ,if a lower-categorized project
 is included in the priority project    
list1 a public description shall be     
included to explain why the             
lower-categorized project is included   
before a higher-categorized project1    
including geographic balance and        

projects in economically distressed     
areas4 4  #c4 ,statewide and            
nonmetropolitan transportation planning 
7a7 ,long-,range statewide              
transportation plan ,section #ace7;f7 of
 title #bc1 ,united ,states ,code1 is   
amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating         
paragraph 7#i7 as paragraph 7#aj72 and  
7#b7 by inserting after paragraph 7#h7  
the following3  7#i7 ,project selection 
transparency and accountability         
,projects included in the adopted       
long-range statewide transportation plan
 shall be selected through a publicly   
available transparent process that      
includes use of criteria that directly  
support factors in subsection 7d71 the  
national transportation goals under     
section #aej7;b71 and applicable ,state 
transportation goals4 ,the criteria     
shall be used to publicly categorize the
 highest performing projects4  4  7b7   
,statewide transportation improvement   
plan ,section #ace7;g77#e77;,a7 of title
 #bc1 ,united ,states ,code is amended  

by adding after the period at the end   
the following3 ,projects included in the
 transportation improvement program     
shall come from the highest performing  
category of projects identified in the  
transportation plan under subsection    
7f77#i74 ,if a lower-categorized project
 is included in the priority project    
list1 a public description shall be     
included to explain why the             
lower-categorized project is included   
before a higher-categorized project1    
including geographic balance and        
projects in economically distressed     
areas4 4  #d4 ,metropolitan             
transportation planning  7a7            
,development of transportation plan     
,section #ecjc7;i7 of chapter #ec of    
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating         
paragraphs 7#g7 and 7#h7 as paragraphs  
7#h7 and 7#i72 and  7#b7 by inserting   
after paragraph 7#f7 the following3     
7#g7 ,project selection transparency and
 accountability ,projects included in   

the adopted transportation plan shall be
 selected through a publicly available  
transparent process that includes use of
 criteria that directly support factors 
in subsection 7h71 the national         
transportation goals under section      
#aej7;b71 and applicable ,state         
transportation goals4 ,the criteria     
shall be used to publicly categorize the
 highest performing projects4  4  7b7   
,metropolitan tip ,section              
#ecjc7;j77#b77;,a7 of chapter #ec of    
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code is     
amended by adding after the period at   
the end the following3 ,projects        
included in the priority list shall come
 from the highest performing category of
 projects identified in the             
transportation plan under subsection    
7i77#g74 ,if a lower-categorized project
 is included in the priority project    
list1 a public description shall be     
included to explain why the             
lower-categorized project is included   
before a higher-categorized project1    

including geographic balance and        
projects in economically distressed     
areas4 4  #e4 ,statewide and            
nonmetropolitan transportation planning 
7a7 ,long-,range statewide              
transportation plan ,section #ecjd7;f7  
of chapter #ec of title #di1 ,united    
,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 by     
redesignating paragraph 7#i7 as         
paragraph 7#aj72 and  7#b7 by inserting 
after paragraph 7#h7 the following3     
7#i7 ,project selection transparency and
 accountability ,projects included in   
the adopted long-range statewide        
transportation plan shall be selected   
through a publicly available transparent
 process that includes use of criteria  
that directly support factors in        
subsection 7d71 the national            
transportation goals under section      
#aej7;b71 and applicable ,state         
transportation goals4 ,the criteria     
shall be used to publicly categorize the
 highest performing projects4  4  7b7   
,statewide transportation improvement   

plan ,section #ecjd7;g77#e77;,a7 of     
chapter #ec of title #di1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is amended by adding     
after the period at the end the         
following3 ,projects included in the    
statewide transportation improvement    
program shall come from the highest     
performing category of projects         
identified in the transportation plan   
under subsection 7f77#i74 ,if a         
lower-categorized project is included in
 the priority project list1 a public    
description shall be included to explain
 why the lower-categorized project is   
included before a higher-categorized    
project1 including geographic balance   
and projects in economically distresses 
areas4 4