,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adfe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #bi1    
#bjba,ms4 ,cantwell 7for herself and    
,mr4 ,blunt7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to establish a competitive grant     
program for highway-rail grade crossing 
improvement projects4  #a4 ,short title 
,this ,act may be cited as the ,railroad
 ,crossing ,elimination ,act4  #b4      
,railroad ,crossing ,elimination        
,program  7a7 ,in general ,chapter #bbi 
of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  #bbiji4 ,railroad ,crossing 
,elimination ,program  7a7 ,in general  
,the ,secretary of the ,transportation1 
in cooperation with the ,administrator  
of the ,federal ,railroad               
,administration1 shall establish a      
competitive grant program 7referred to  
in this section as the ,program7 under  

which the ,secretary shall award grants 
to eligible recipients described in     
subsection 7c7 for highway-rail grade   
crossing improvement projects that focus
 on improving the safety and mobility of
 people and goods4  7b7 ,goals ,the     
goals of the ,program are-- 7#a7 to     
eliminate highway-rail grade crossings  
that are frequently blocked by trains2  
7#b7 to improve the health and safety of
 communities2  7#c7 to reduce the       
impacts that freight movement and       
railroad operations may have on         
underserved communities2 and  7#d7 to   
improve the mobility of people and      
goods4  7c7 ,eligible recipients ,the   
following entities are eligible to      
receive a grant under this section3 7#a7
 ,a ,state1 including the ,district of  
,columbia1 ,puerto ,rico1 and other     
,united ,states territories and         
possessions4  7#b7 ,a political         
subdivision of a ,state4  7#c7 ,a       
federally recognized ,indian ,tribe4    
7#d7 ,a unit of local government or a   

group of local governments4  7#e7 ,a    
public port authority1 including inland 
ports4  7#f7 ,a metropolitan planning   
organization4  7#g7 ,a group of entities
 described in any of paragraphs 7#a7    
through 7#f74  7d7 ,eligible projects   
,the ,secretary may award a grant under 
the ,program for a highway-rail or      
pathway-rail grade crossing improvement 
project 7including acquiring real       
property interests7 involving-- 7#a7    
grade separation or closure1 including  
through the use of a bridge or a tunnel2
  7#b7 track relocation2  7#c7 the      
improvement or installation of          
protective devices1 signals1 signs1 or  
other measures to improve safety if it  
is related to a separation or relocation
 project described in paragraph 7#a7 or 
7#b72  7#d7 other means intended to     
improve the mobility of people and goods
 at highway-rail grade crossings        
7including technological solutions72    
7#e7 a group of related projects        
described in paragraphs 7#a7 through    

7#d7 that would collectively improve    
freight mobility2 or  7#f7 the planning 
and design of an eligible project       
described in paragraphs 7#a7 through    
7#e74  7e7 ,application process  7#a7   
,in general ,an eligible entity desiring
 a grant under the ,program shall submit
 an application to the ,secretary at    
such time1 in such manner1 and          
containing such information as the      
,secretary may require4  7#b7 ,railroad 
approvals  7,a7 ,in general ,except as  
provided in subparagraph 7,b71 the      
,secretary shall require applicants to  
obtain the necessary approvals from any 
impacted rail carriers or right-of-way  
owners before proceeding with the       
construction of a project funded by a   
grant under the ,program4  7,b7         
,exception ,the requirement under       
subparagraph 7,a7 shall not apply to    
planning projects described in          
subsection 7d77#f7 if the applicant     
agrees to work collaboratively with rail
 carriers and right-of-way owners4  7f7 

,project selection criteria  7#a7 ,in   
general ,in awarding grants under the   
,program1 the ,secretary shall evaluate 
the extent to which proposed projects   
would-- 7,a7 improve safety at          
highway-rail or pathway-rail grade      
crossings2  7,b7 improve the mobility of
 people and goods2  7,c7 reduce         
emissions1 protect the environment1 and 
provide community benefits1 including   
noise reduction2  7,d7 improve access to
 emergency services2  7,e7 provide      
economic benefits2 and  7,f7 improve    
access to communities separated by rail 
crossings4  7#b7 ,additional            
considerations ,in awarding grants under
 the ,program1 the ,secretary shall     
consider-- 7,a7 the degree to which the 
proposed project will-- 7i7 use         
innovative technologies2  7ii7 use      
innovative design and construction      
techniques2 or  7iii7 use construction  
materials that reduce greenhouse gas    
emissions2  7,b7 the applicant's planned
 use of contracting incentives to employ

 local labor1 to the extent permissible 
under ,federal statutes and regulations2
  7,c7 whether the proposed project     
improves the mobility of-- 7i7 multiple 
modes of transportation1 including      
ingress and egress from freight         
facilities2 or  7ii7 users of           
nonvehicular modes of transportation1   
such as pedestrians1 bicyclists1 and    
public transportation2  7,d7 whether the
 proposed project is identified in-- 7i7
 the freight investment plan component  
of a ,state freight plan1 as required   
under section #gjbjb7;b77#i7 of title   
#di1 ,united ,states ,code2  7ii7 a     
,state rail plan prepared under chapter 
#bbg2 or  7iii7 a ,state highway-rail   
grade crossing action plan1 as required 
under section #aadja7;b7 of the ,,fast  
,act 7#di ,u4,s4,c4 #bbeja note72 and   
7,e7 the level of financial support     
provided by impacted rail carriers4     
7#c7 ,award distribution ,in selecting  
grants for ,program funds in any fiscal 
year1 the ,secretary shall comply with  

the following limitations3 7,a7 ,grant  
funds ,not less than #bj percent of the 
grant funds available for the ,program  
in any fiscal year shall be reserved for
 projects located in rural areas or on  
tribal lands4 ,the requirement under    
section #bbijg7l7 of title #di1 ,united 
,states ,code1 shall not apply to grant 
funds reserved under this subparagraph4 
7,b7 ,planning grants ,not less than #be
 percent of the grant funds set aside   
for planning projects in any fiscal year
 pursuant to subsection 7k77#b7 shall be
 awarded for projects located in rural  
areas or on tribal lands4  7,c7 ,state  
limitation ,not more than #bj percent of
 the grant funds available for the      
,program in any fiscal year may be      
selected for projects in any single     
,state4  7,d7 ,minimum size ,no grant   
awarded under this section shall be for 
less than #a1jjj1jjj4  7g7 ,cost share  
7#a7 ,in general ,except as provided in 
paragraph 7#b71 the ,federal share of   
the cost of a project carried out using 

a grant under the ,program may not      
exceed #hj percent of the total cost of 
the project4 ,applicants may count costs
 incurred for preliminary engineering   
associated with highway-rail and        
pathway-rail grade crossing improvement 
projects as part of the total project   
costs4  7#b7 ,planning projects ,the    
,federal share of the cost of a planning
 project described in subsection 7d77#f7
 may be #ajj percent of the total cost  
of the project4  7h7 ,congressional     
notification ,not later than #c days    
before awarding a grant for a project   
under the ,program1 the ,secretary shall
 submit written notification of the     
proposed grant to the ,committee on     
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate and the ,committee on   
,transportation and ,infrastructure of  
the ,house of ,representatives1 which   
notification shall include-- 7#a7 a     
summary of the project2 and  7#b7 the   
amount of the proposed grant award4  7i7
 ,defined term ,in this section1 the    

term rural area means any area that is  
not in an urbanized area1 as defined by 
the ,bureau of the ,census4  7j7 ,annual
 report ,not later than #fj days after  
each round of award notifications1 the  
,secretary shall post1 on the public    
website of the ,department of           
,transportation1 a list of-- 7#a7 all   
eligible applicants that submitted an   
application for funding under the       
,program during such fiscal year2  7#b7 
the grant recipients and projects that  
received grant funding under the        
,program during such fiscal year2 and   
7#c7 a list of proposed projects and    
applicants that were determined to be   
ineligible4  7k7 ,authorization of      
appropriations  7#a7 ,in general ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated        
#ejj1jjj1jjj in each of the fiscal years
 #bjbb through #bjbf to carry out the   
,program4  7#b7 ,planning projects set  
aside ,not less than #c percent of the  
amount appropriated for the ,program in 
each fiscal year shall be used for      

planning projects described in          
subsection 7d77#f74  7#c7               
,administrative costs ,not more than #b 
percent of the amount appropriated for  
the ,program in each fiscal year may be 
used for administrative costs4  4  7b7  
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections in chapter #bbi of title #di1  
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3        
#bbiji4 ,railroad ,crossing ,elimination
 ,program4  4