,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bdjc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ca1     
#bjai,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,sanders1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 ,ms4     
,smith1 ,ms4 ,harris1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4
 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4         
,heinrich1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 and ,mrs4 
,murray7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and  
,urban ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to         
authorize the ,secretary of             
,transportation to provide loans for the
 acquisition of electric buses and      
related infrastructure4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,community ,health and ,clean ,transit  
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,definitions ,in    
this ,act-- 7#a7 the term covered loan  
means a direct loan made by the         
,secretary under section #d2  7#b7 the  
term electric bus means a bus that is a 
zero emission vehicle 7as defined in    
section #ecci7;c77#a7 of title #di1     

,united ,states ,code7 that is fully    
battery-powered2  7#c7 the term eligible
 entity means an eligible recipient1 as 
described in section #ecci7;a77#d7 of   
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code2  7#d7 
the term eligible project has the       
meaning given the term in section       
#ecci7;c77#a7 of title #di1 ,united     
,states ,code1 except that that         
definition shall be applied by          
substituting electric buses for low or  
no emission vehicles2  7#e7 the term    
eligible project cost-- 7,a7 means the  
cost of an eligible project2 and  7,b7  
includes 7and in the case of an eligible
 project described in clause 7i71 7ii71 
or 7iii7 of section #ecci7;c77#a77;,b71 
means only7--  7i7 the incremental cost 
of acquiring an electric bus necessary  
to meet the needs of the eligible       
entity1 as compared to the average cost 
of a diesel bus2 and  7ii7 the cost of  
technical assistance for the            
acquisition1 financing1 and operation of
 an electric bus and related            

infrastructure1 including technical     
assistance for route electrification1   
technology selection1 and               
vehicle-to-grid interfacing2  7#f7 the  
term ,secretary1 except as otherwise    
provided1 means the ,secretary of       
,transportation2 and  7#g7 the term     
subsidy amount means the amount of      
budget authority sufficient to cover the
 estimated long-term cost to the        
,federal ,government of a covered loan--
  7,a7 calculated on a net present value
 basis2 and  7,b7 excluding             
administrative costs and any incidental 
effects on governmental receipts or     
outlays in accordance with the ,federal 
,credit ,reform ,act of #aiij 7#b       
,u4,s4,c4 #ffa et seq474  #c4 ,purpose  
,the purpose of this ,act is to help    
entities that provide or finance public 
transportation to choose and be able to 
afford the best vehicles for their      
needs1 and to achieve fuel and          
maintenance cost savings1 by providing  
loans to eligible entities to acquire   

electric buses and related              
infrastructure4  #d4 ,authorization to  
provide assistance ,the ,secretary may  
make a direct loan to an eligible entity
 for eligible project costs4  #e4       
,applications  7a7 ,in general ,except  
as provided in subsection 7b71 an       
eligible entity desiring a covered loan 
shall submit to the ,secretary an       
application that--  7#a7 includes an    
implementation plan for use of the      
covered loan2  7#b7 estimates the       
amounts the eligible entity will save on
 fuel and maintenance costs due to the  
covered loan2 and  7#c7 provides        
reasonable assurance that the eligible  
entity will make all payments on the    
covered loan4  7b7 ,link to low or no   
emission bus and bus facilities grant   
applications ,the ,secretary shall      
establish a procedure under which an    
eligible entity that submits an         
application under section #ecci7;c7 of  
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 for a 
grant relating to a low or no emission  

bus or bus facility may amend the       
application to also be considered for a 
covered loan under this ,act without    
having to submit a separate application 
under this section4  7c7 ,guidance and  
best practices ,not later than #a year  
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,secretary of ,energy1 in     
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,transportation1 shall develop and      
publish on the website of the           
,department of ,energy guidance on best 
practices for transit districts to enter
 into innovative relationships with     
public utilities and bus manufacturers  
to incorporate into operations and      
financing of electric buses and         
infrastructure--  7#a7 secondary use of 
the battery2  7#b7 vehicle-to-grid      
integration2  7#c7 charging             
infrastructure cost shares2 or  7#d7    
battery performance guarantees4  #f4    
,terms and conditions  7a7 ,in general  
,a covered loan-- 7#a7 shall not accrue 
interest2 and  7#b7 shall be on such    

terms and conditions and contain such   
covenants1 representations1 warranties1 
and requirements 7including requirements
 for audits7 as the ,secretary may      
prescribe4  7b7 ,term of loan ,the      
,secretary may provide a covered loan   
only if the final maturity date of the  
covered loan is not later than the date 
on which the electric bus acquired using
 the covered loan is expected to exceed 
its useful life1 based on the average   
life expectancy of the electric bus4    
7c7 ,buy ,america ,section #ecbc7;j7 of 
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall 
apply with respect to a project funded  
using a covered loan in the same manner 
as to a project funded using amounts    
appropriated to carry out chapter #ec of
 such title #di4  7d7 ,non-,federal     
share for ,low-,no grants ,the proceeds 
of a covered loan may be used for any   
non-,federal share of project costs     
required under section #ecci7;c7 of     
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 if the
 covered loan is repayable from         

non-,federal funds4  #g4 ,repayment  7a7
 ,commencement ,scheduled repayments of 
principal on a covered loan provided to 
an eligible entity shall commence not   
later than #ahj days after the date on  
which the eligible entity places in     
revenue service the electric bus and    
necessary infrastructure that were      
acquired using the covered loan4  7b7   
,prepayment ,an eligible entity may make
 repayments on a covered loan in advance
 of the scheduled repayment date with no
 penalty4  7c7 ,delinquency             
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 if an eligible entity fails to make
 a scheduled repayment on a covered     
loan1 the ,secretary may withhold from  
the eligible entity an equivalent amount
 of any assistance that would otherwise 
be provided to the eligible entity under
 a formula grant program under chapter  
#ec of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code4
  #h4 ,availability of funds ,subject to
 the availability of funds and except as
 otherwise provided in this ,act1       

amounts provided by the ,secretary under
 this ,act shall be available until     
expended4  #i4 ,authorization of        
appropriations  7a7 ,in general ,there  
is authorized to be appropriated        
#ae1jjj1jjj for each of the first #e    
fiscal years beginning after the date of
 enactment of this ,act for the subsidy 
amount of covered loans4  7b7           
,administrative costs ,there is         
authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as are necessary for the administrative 
cost of providing covered loans4