,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dgbf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bd1
 #bjbj,mrs4 ,shaheen introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,energy      
,independence and ,security ,act of     
#bjjg to require the ,secretary of      
,transportation to develop and carry out
 a program to improve energy efficiency 
in transportation4  #a4 ,short title    
,this ,act may be cited as the ,better  
,utilizing ,innovative ,low-emission    
,development ,strategies ,act or the    
,,builds ,act4  #b4 ,grant program to   
promote energy efficiency  7a7 ,in      
general ,title ,,xi of the ,energy      
,independence and ,security ,act of     
#bjjg 7,public ,law #aaj-adj2 #aba      
,stat4 #agef7 is amended by adding at   
the end the following3  ,e ,energy      
efficiency  #aada4 ,grant program to    
promote energy efficiency in            

transportation  7a7 ,definitions ,in    
this subtitle3 7#a7 ,dynamic            
transportation and demand management    
project ,the term dynamic transportation
 and demand management project means a  
project for the dynamic management1     
control1 and influence of travel demand1
 traffic demand1 and traffic flow       
relating to a transportation facility4  
7#b7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible
 entity means-- 7,a7 a ,state2  7,b7 a  
unit of ,tribal or local government2 and
  7,c7 a public entity with jurisdiction
 over1 or expertise relating to1        
infrastructure in a region1 ,state1 or  
locality 7including a transit agency74  
7#c7 ,energy efficient ,the term energy 
efficient1 with respect to a mode of    
transportation1 means that the mode of  
transportation uses a system of         
infrastructure and vehicles in          
transporting individuals or goods that  
requires a quantity of energy           
consumption 7as measured per person-mile
 or per ton-mile of freight7 equal to   

less than #b_/c of the quantity of      
energy consumed by other modes of       
transportation in the ,united ,states   
7calculated based on the average        
person-mile or ton-mile of freight74    
7#d7 ,rural area ,the term rural area   
means an area located outside of an     
urbanized area1 which urbanized area has
 a population of more than #aej1jjj     
residents1 as determined by the ,bureau 
of the ,census4  7#e7 ,rural ,state ,the
 term rural ,state means a ,state with a
 population density of #ej or fewer     
residents per square mile1 based on the 
most recent decennial census4  7#f7     
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of ,transportation4  7b7 
,grant program  7#a7 ,establishment ,the
 ,secretary1 in coordination with the   
,secretary of ,energy and other         
appropriate ,federal departments and    
agencies1 shall establish a program     
under which the ,secretary shall provide
 discretionary grants1 on a competitive 
basis1 to eligible entities to carry out

 projects that the ,secretary determines
 will promote reductions in             
transportation energy use1 accelerate   
the adoption of new and existing energy 
efficient technologies for              
transportation applications1 and        
significantly enhance transportation    
infrastructure in the ,united ,states1  
including by accelerating the           
application of information and          
communications technology to increase   
the availability and competitiveness of 
energy efficient modes for transporting 
passengers or freight4  7#b7            
,application  7,a7 ,in general ,to be   
eligible to receive a grant under this  
subsection1 an eligible entity shall    
submit to the ,secretary an application 
at such time1 in such manner1 and       
containing such information as the      
,secretary determines to be appropriate4
  7,b7 ,inclusion ,an application under 
this paragraph shall include a          
description of the means by which the   
proposed project of an eligible entity  

will1 with respect to the area proposed 
to be served by the project-- 7i7       
promote a major reduction in            
transportation energy use2 or  7ii7     
otherwise enhance energy efficiency4    
7,c7 ,criteria for project evaluation   
and selection  7i7 ,primary factors for 
consideration ,the ,secretary shall     
evaluate applications submitted under   
this paragraph primarily-- 7,i7 on the  
basis of the benefits of the proposed   
project with respect to-- 7aa7 enhanced 
energy efficiency2  7bb7 economic       
competitiveness2  7cc7 environmental    
sustainability2 and  7dd7 such other    
benefits as the ,secretary determines to
 be appropriate2 and  7,,ii7 in a manner
 that ensures1 to the maximum extent    
practicable-- 7aa7 an equitable         
geographical distribution of funds2 and 
7bb7 an appropriate balance in          
addressing the needs of urban and rural 
areas4  7ii7 ,additional considerations 
,in addition to the criteria described  
in clause 7i71 the ,secretary shall take

 into consideration the extent to which 
a proposed project-- 7,i7 leverages     
,federal investment by encouraging      
non-,federal contributions to the       
project1 including contributions from   
public-private partnerships2  7,,ii7    
supports the rehabilitation of existing 
assets2  7,,iii7 improves resilience to 
extreme weather events2 and  7,,iv7     
improves technology innovation and the  
use of information and communication    
technologies4  7#c7 ,use of funds ,an   
eligible entity may use a grant provided
 under this subsection to carry out a   
project described in paragraph 7#a71    
including-- 7,a7 a dynamic              
transportation and demand management    
project to reduce recurring and         
nonrecurring congestion2  7,b7 a program
 based on mobile computing to facilitate
 the use of transit1 carsharing1        
ridesharing1 or bikesharing2  7,c7 an   
improvement to a multimodal freight     
facility to permit the use of           
information and communications          

technology to facilitate shared use of  
vehicles2  7,d7 a roadway improvement to
 permit vehicle-to-infrastructure       
communications that will help to reduce 
energy consumption2  7,e7 a public      
transportation project eligible under   
chapter #ec of title #di1 ,united       
,states ,code 7including investment in a
 project participating in the ,new      
,starts or ,small ,starts programs that 
will expedite the completion of that    
project and entry of the project into   
revenue service72  7,f7 a passenger or  
freight rail transportation project2    
7,g7 port infrastructure investment     
7including a project that connects a    
port to another mode of transportation  
and improves the efficiency of freight  
movement72  7,h7 the construction or    
expansion of an electric charging or    
hydrogen fueling station or other       
related infrastructure2  7,i7 an        
infrastructure project that promotes the
 efficient use of aircraft2  7,j7 a     
project that promotes walking1 bike     

transit1 and other nonmotorized modes of
 transportation2  7,k7 a project to     
deploy automation technology in personal
 vehicles to achieve a net reduction in 
energy consumption2 and  7,l7 such other
 projects as the ,secretary determines  
to be eligible4  7#d7 ,requirements     
7,a7 ,maximum amount ,the amount of a   
grant provided under this subsection    
shall be not more than #ej1jjj1jjj4     
7,b7 ,term ,the term of a grant provided
 under this subsection shall not exceed 
#e years4  7,c7 ,federal share ,the     
,federal share of the cost of a project 
carried out using a grant provided under
 this subsection shall be not more than 
#hj percent4  7,d7 ,reports to          
,secretary ,not later than the date that
 is #e years1 #aj years1 and #bj years  
after the date of completion of a       
project for which a grant is provided   
under this subsection1 the applicable   
eligible entity shall-- 7i7 reassess    
system performance to determine whether 
the outcomes of the project have met the

 preconstruction projections for-- 7,i7 
reduction in transportation energy use2 
and  7,,ii7 enhancement of energy       
efficiency2 and  7ii7 submit to the     
,secretary a report describing those    
determinations4  7#e7 ,state limitation 
,in selecting projects to receive grants
 under this subsection1 the ,secretary  
shall ensure that not more than #bj     
percent of the funds made available to  
carry out this subsection may be awarded
 to projects in a single ,state4  7#f7  
,rural projects ,not less than #bj      
percent of the amounts made available to
 carry out this subsection for a fiscal 
year shall be allocated for projects in 
rural areas or rural ,states4  7c7      
,administrative expenses ,of the amounts
 made available under subsection 7d71   
the ,secretary may use not more than #d 
percent for administrative expenses of  
carrying out the program under          
subsection 7b74  7d7 ,authorization of  
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to the ,secretary to    

carry out this section #cjj1jjj1jjj for 
each of fiscal years #bjba through      
#bjbe4  4  7b7 ,technical amendment ,the
 table of contents of the ,energy       
,independence and ,security ,act of     
#bjjg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agjja note2       
,public ,law #aaj-adj7 is amended by    
adding at the end of the items relating 
to title ,,xi the following3  ,subtitle 
,e--,energy efficiency,sec4 #aada4      
,grant program to promote energy        
efficiency in transportation4  4