,i  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #edcg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #ac1      
#bjbc,mr4 ,finstad 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,stauber1 ,mr4 ,golden of ,maine1 and   
,mr4 ,van ,orden7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to ensure  
the rural surface transportation grant  
program is accessible to rural areas1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,protecting ,infrastructure ,investments
 for ,rural ,america ,act4  #b4 ,rural  
surface transportation grant program    
,section #agc of title #bc1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in     
subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#b7 
by striking over #bjj1jjj and inserting 
#bj1jjj or less2 and  7,b7 by adding at 
the end the following3  7#c7 ,small     
community ,the term small community     
means an area that is outside an        
urbanized area and that has a population

 of #e1jjj or less4  2  7#b7 in         
subsection 7b77#b7-- 7,a7 in            
subparagraph 7,b7 by striking and at the
 end2  7,b7 in subparagraph 7,c7 by     
striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 and2 and  7,c7 by adding at 
the end the following3  7,d7 to generate
 economic growth and development in     
rural areas to improve the quality of   
life for citizens in rural areas and    
small communities4  2  7#c7 in          
subsection 7e77#a7-- 7,a7 in            
subparagraph 7,f7 by striking or at the 
end2  7,b7 in subparagraph 7,g7 by      
striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 or2 and  7,c7 by adding at  
the end the following3  7,h7 a highway1 
road1 bridge1 or tunnel project that    
would benefit the economic development  
or quality of life for citizens of the  
community in which the project takes    
place4  2  7#d7 by striking subsection  
7i72  7#e7 by redesignating subsections 
7j71 7k71 7l71 7m71 7n71 and 7o7 as     
subsections 7i71 7j71 7k71 7l71 7m71 and

 7n71 respectively2  7#f7 in subsection 
7i7 7as so redesignated7-- 7,a7 in      
paragraph 7#a7 by striking paragraph    
7#b7 and inserting paragraphs 7#b7 or   
7#c72  7,b7 by redesignating paragraph  
7#c7 as paragraph 7#d72 and  7,c7 by    
inserting after paragraph 7#b7 the      
following3  7#c7 ,federal share for     
projects in small communities ,the      
,federal share of the cost of a project 
carried out in a small community with a 
grant under the program may not exceed  
#ij percent4  2  7#g7 in subsection 7j7 
7as so redesignated7 by striking        
paragraph 7#a7 and inserting the        
following3  7#a7 ,projects in small     
communities ,the ,secretary shall use   
not less than #e percent of the amounts 
made available for the program for each 
fiscal year to provide grants for       
eligible projects in a small community4 
2 and  7#h7 in subsection 7l7 7as so    
redesignated7 by striking subsection    
7l77#a7 and inserting subsection        
7k77#a74