,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ddfh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #f1    
#bjbj,ms4 ,smith 7for herself1 ,mr4     
,rounds1 and ,ms4 ,baldwin7 introduced  
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs 
,a ,,bill  ,to increase the ,federal    
share of operating costs for certain    
projects that receive grants under the  
,formula ,grants to ,rural ,areas       
,program of the ,federal ,transit       
,administration4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,investments  
in ,rural ,transit ,act of #bjbj4  #b4  
,increased ,federal share of operating  
costs for certain areas ,section        
#ecaa7;g77#b77;,b7 of title #di1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in the
 subparagraph heading1 by striking      
,exception and inserting ,exceptions2   
7#b7 by striking ,a ,state and inserting
 the following3  7i7 ,states with       
nontaxable ,indian lands or public      

domain lands ,subject to clause 7ii71 a 
,state  2 and  7#c7 by adding at the end
 the following3  7ii7 ,areas with       
particular needs  7,i7 ,definition ,in  
this clause1 the term area of persistent
 poverty means-- 7aa7 any county in     
which not less than #bj percent of the  
population has lived in poverty during  
the most recent #cj-year period1 as     
measured by-- 7,,aa7 the second and     
third most recent decennial censuses2   
and 7,,bb7 the ,small ,area ,income and 
,poverty ,estimates of the ,bureau of   
the ,census for the most recent year for
 which the ,estimates are available2 or 
7bb7 any census tract with a poverty    
rate of not less than #bj percent1 as   
measured by most recent #e-year data    
series available from the ,american     
,community ,survey of the ,bureau of the
 ,census4  7,,ii7 ,increased ,federal   
share ,a grant made under this section  
for operating assistance to an operator 
of public transportation that serves an 
area that meets one or more of the      

criteria under subclause 7,,iii7 shall  
be for #hj percent of the net operating 
costs of the project1 as determined by  
the ,secretary4  7,,iii7 ,criteria ,the 
criteria referred to in subclause 7,,ii7
 are that an area-- 7aa7 is an area of  
persistent poverty2  7bb7 is a county in
 which not less than #be percent of     
residents are age #fe or older1         
according to the most recent #e-year    
estimate of the ,american ,community    
,survey of the ,bureau of the ,census2  
7cc7 is a county that1 or is a county   
that includes a site that-- 7,,aa7 has  
been designated by the ,secretary of    
,health and ,human ,services as a health
 professional shortage area under       
section #ccb7;a7 of the ,public ,health 
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;e7a77 
on the basis of a primary care or mental
 health care shortage2 and 7,,bb7       
received a health professional shortage 
area score for the most recent program  
year1 with respect to primary care or   
mental health care1 that was not less   

than the lowest minimum score1 as       
designated by the ,secretary of ,health 
and ,human ,services for that program   
year1 necessary for the site to be      
eligible for the assignment of ,national
 ,health ,service ,corps members        
providing primary care or mental health 
care1 respectively1 for fulfillment of  
obligated service under the ,national   
,health ,service ,corps ,scholarship    
,program2 or  7dd7 is a county with a   
population density of not more than #bj 
persons per square mile of land area1   
based on the most recent decennial      
census4  4