,i #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #gjci ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #ah1 #bjbd,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,mr4 ,auchincloss1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,mrs4 ,beatty1 ,mr4 ,bishop of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester1 ,mr4 ,bowman1 ,mr4 ,boyle of ,pennsylvania1 ,ms4 ,brown1 ,ms4 ,bush1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 ,mr4 ,carson1 ,mrs4 ,cherfilus-,mc,cormick1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mr4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,del,bene1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,mr4 ,evans1 ,mrs4 ,foushee1 ,mr4 ,frost1 ,mr4 ,garca of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,garcia of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,goldman of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,gomez1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 ,mr4 ,ivey1 ,mr4 ,jackson of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,ms4 ,kamlager-,dove1 ,mr4 ,krishnamoorthi1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,lynch1 ,ms4 ,mc,clellan1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,ms4 ,moore of ,wisconsin1 ,mr4 ,moulton1 ,mr4 ,mullin1 ,mr4 ,nadler1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez1 ,ms4 ,omar1 ,mr4 ,payne1 ,ms4 ,pelosi1 ,ms4 ,ross1 ,mr4 ,ruppersberger1 ,ms4 ,salinas1 ,ms4 ,snchez1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 ,ms4 ,stansbury1 ,mr4 ,thanedar1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,ms4 ,tlaib1 ,mr4 ,torres of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4 ,vasquez1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1 and ,ms4 ,porter7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure ,a ,,bill ,to amend title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 to establish a program to provide grants to eligible recipients for eligible operating support costs of public transportation1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,stronger ,communities through ,better ,transit ,act4 #b4 ,high quality transit operating support program 7a7 ,in general ,chapter #ec of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by inserting after section #ecjg the following3 #ecjh4 ,high quality transit operating support program 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,transportation shall establish a program under which the ,secretary may make grants to eligible recipients to enhance mobility and improve environmental sustainability through investing in public transportation service improvements4 7b7 ,allocation of funding ,for each fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall allocate funding as follows3 7#a7 ,each urbanized area1 ,state1 and ,indian ,tribe that is an eligible recipient shall receive an apportionment based on data contained in the ,national ,transit ,database such that-- 7,a7 each urbanized area shall receive an amount equal to #ej percent of the urbanized area's average annual operating costs over the #c-year period preceding such fiscal year2 7,b7 each ,state shall receive an amount equal to #ej percent of the subrecipients in such ,state under section #ecaa average operating costs over the #c-year period preceding such fiscal year2 and 7,c7 each ,indian ,tribe shall receive an amount equal to #ej percent of the ,indian ,tribe's average operating costs over the #c-year period preceding such fiscal year4 7#b7 ,for funds remaining after the apportionment described in paragraph 7#a71 such funds shall be apportioned such that each urbanized area1 ,state1 and ,indian ,tribe that is an eligible recipient shall receive an apportionment equal to the proportion of all operating costs reported to the ,national ,transit ,database over the #c-year period preceding the fiscal year in which such funds are apportioned4 7#c7 ,in any given year1 no urbanized area1 ,state1 or ,indian ,tribe may receive an apportionment under this subsection that is greater than #hj percent of the average operating costs over the #c-year period preceding the fiscal year in which such funds are apportioned4 7c7 ,eligible projects 7#a7 ,in general ,eligible recipients may use funding provided under this section for operating costs associated with projects eligible under this chapter and title #bc that improve public transportation service for transit dependent populations and support increased transit ridership1 including-- 7,a7 projects that decrease headways2 7,b7 projects for new or expanded service area1 hours1 or days2 7,c7 projects to improve transit reliability or travel time savings1 including transit prioritization2 7,d7 ,,it enhancements to improve customer information and customer and employee safety such as implementation of real-time transit data2 7,e7 projects to support seamless complete trips1 including-- 7i7 projects to improve transit network connectivity2 7ii7 signage and wayfinding2 7iii7 fare coordination2 and 7iv7 multimodal payment integration2 7,f7 service planning related to funding provided under this section1 including planning to address changing demographics1 changing travel movement1 network redesign 7including the implementation of a plan that results in a net increase in service hours across a region1 subregion1 or study area71 and accommodating essential service trips 7including service trips for employment1 healthcare facilities1 child care1 education and workforce training1 food sources1 banking and other financial institutions1 and other retail shopping establishments72 7,g7 measuring access to work and essential services1 particularly for non-drivers1 for the purpose of developing projects to be funded under this section1 including data acquisition and acquiring outside support for conducting analysis of such data2 7,h7 measures to enhance customer sense of safety and security1 including public safety measures and outreach to unhoused persons in the transit system2 7,i7 initiatives to improve the transit environment1 such as additional or enhanced cleaning2 and 7,j7 workforce development initiatives necessary to improve or maintain service4 7#b7 ,no effect on other laws ,the use of funds from this section for operating costs of projects described in paragraph 7#a7 may not affect the eligibility of such projects to receive funding from other sections of this chapter or title #bc4 7d7 ,requirement ,a preponderance of a grant received by a recipient under this section in a fiscal year shall be used for projects that benefit underserved communities or areas of persistent poverty4 7e7 ,federal share 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,federal share of a project or program carried out using a grant awarded under this section shall be not greater than #ej percent4 7#b7 ,federal share for operating expenses ,in the case that a project includes both operating components funded from this section and non-operating components1 the ,federal share for operating components shall be #ej percent and for non-operating components shall be consistent with the requirements of the funding source for those components4 7#c7 ,increased federal share for certain areas ,notwithstanding paragraph 7#b71 the ,federal share of an operating assistance component of a project or program carried out in an area of persistent poverty or an underserved community using a grant awarded under this section shall be not greater than #hj percent4 7#d7 ,federal share for ,indian ,tribes ,notwithstanding paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#c71 for ,indian ,tribes receiving funding allocated under subsection 7b77#a77;,c71 the ,federal share of a project or program carried out using a grant awarded under this section shall be #ajj percent4 7#e7 ,in kind match ,of the non-,federal share required under this subsection1 #be percent may be derived from amounts 7other than amounts received from the ,federal ,transit ,administration7 expended for associated capital improvements related to a project or program carried out using a grant awarded under this section4 7f7 ,period of availability ,an amount apportioned under this section may be obligated by the recipient for #b years after the fiscal year in which the amount is apportioned4 ,not later than #cj days after the end of the #b-year period1 an amount that is not obligated at the end of that period shall be added to the amount that may be apportioned under this section in the following fiscal year4 7g7 ,conditions for operating assistance ,as a condition of receiving a grant under this section1 an eligible recipient shall-- 7#a7 in the case of a recipient in an urbanized area-- 7,a7 agree to report to the ,federal ,transit ,administration1 for inclusion in the ,national ,transit ,database-- 7i7 service frequency and revenue vehicle hours1 including revenue vehicle hours and unlinked passenger trips originating and terminating in areas of persistent poverty and underserved communities1 together with such other specific data as the ,secretary shall find necessary and appropriate2 and 7ii7 the number of jobs and essential services accessible by transit1 and improvement in such access1 including specific reporting on access by transit for areas of persistent poverty and underserved communities2 and 7,b7 demonstrate that such recipient has surveyed1 within the past year and at least every #b years thereafter1 current transit riders as well as non-riding residents of areas of persistent poverty and underserved communities regarding transit service improvements1 using means designed to maximize participation from both riders and non-riders1 and has published the survey in an online format2 7#b7 in the case of a recipient that is an ,indian ,tribe-- 7,a7 agree to report to the ,federal ,transit ,administration1 for inclusion in the ,national ,transit ,database1 revenue vehicle hours and unlinked passenger trips1 together with such other specific data as the ,secretary shall find necessary and appropriate2 and 7,b7 demonstrate that such recipient has surveyed1 within the past year and at least every #b years thereafter1 current transit riders as well as non-riding residents of the ,tribe's service area regarding transit service improvements1 using means designed to maximize participation from both riders and non-riders1 and has published the survey in an online format2 and 7#c7 in the case of a recipient that is a ,state or other possession receiving assistance under section #ecaa-- 7,a7 agree to report to the ,federal ,transit ,administration1 for inclusion in the ,national ,transit ,database1 revenue vehicle hours for each subrecipient receiving assistance under this section1 including revenue vehicle hours and unlinked passenger trips originating and terminating in areas of persistent poverty and under-served communities1 together with such other specific data as the ,secretary shall find necessary and appropriate2 7,b7 provide an annually updated report to the ,secretary identifying those underserved communities and areas of persistent poverty in the non-urbanized areas of the ,state or possession that do not have any reported public transit services1 or in which either the availability or utilization of rural public transit is in the bottom quintile as compared to all rural public transit services in the ,united ,states1 using such measurements as shall be identified by the ,secretary1 together with annually updated progress toward achieving the ,state's or possession's strategy for establishing high-quality transit service in these unserved and underserved communities and areas of persistent poverty2 and 7,c7 demonstrate that every subrecipient of the ,state or possession has surveyed1 within the past year and at least every #b years thereafter1 current transit riders as well as non-riding residents of areas of persistent poverty and underserved communities within the sub-recipient's service area regarding transit service improvements1 using means designed to maximize participation from both riders and non-riders1 and has published the survey in an online format4 7h7 ,regulations ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,secretary shall issue such regulations as are necessary to carry out the program established under subsection 7a71 including defining the terms preponderance of a grant1 and access to jobs and essential service for purposes of this section and taking into account any necessary difference in the definition of such terms required for urbanized areas1 rural areas located near urbanized areas1 and remote rural areas4 7i7 ,access measurement 7#a7 ,in general ,in carrying out the program under this section1 the ,secretary shall set up a multimodal access measurement interface that is open to any public agency through the program under section #eeje to aid transit agencies in determining and reporting on access to jobs and essential services4 7#b7 ,interim data ,until the access measurement interface under paragraph 7#a7 is established1 an eligible recipient may use other data sources to determine and report on access to jobs and essential services4 7j7 ,maintenance of effort 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #cj days after the beginning of each fiscal year1 recipients of funds under this section shall certify to the ,secretary that such recipients will1 with funding pledged by all sources1 maintain effort with regard to transit service4 ,as part of such certification1 the transit agency shall submit to the ,secretary a statement identifying the amount of funds from all sources 7other than funds provided under this section and related non-,federal match7 expended on transit operations during the prior fiscal year1 and the amount expected to be expended on transit operations from all sources during the current fiscal year4 7#b7 ,failure to maintain effort ,if a recipient of funds under this section is unable to maintain the level of effort certified pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 for any fiscal year1 the amount such recipient would have received under this section in the following fiscal year shall be reduced by one-third4 7k7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent an eligible recipient from increasing service through the use of any other ,federal or non-,federal funds4 7l7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section #bj1jjj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbd through #bjbg4 7m7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,areas of persistent poverty ,the term area of persistent poverty means-- 7,a7 a county that has consistently had greater than or equal to #bj percent of the population of such county living in poverty during the most recent #cj-year period for which data is available1 as measured by the #aiij and #bjjj decennial censuses2 or 7,b7 a census tract with a poverty rate of at least #bj percent as measured by the #bjad through #bjah #e-year data series available from the ,american ,community ,survey of the ,bureau of the ,census4 7#b7 ,associated capital improvements ,the term associated capital improvements means a capital project described in subparagraphs 7,b7 through 7,g7 of section #ecjb7d74 7#c7 ,eligible recipient ,the term eligible recipient means a recipient or subrecipient of funds under section #ecjg or #ecaa4 7#d7 ,underserved community ,the term underserved community means-- 7,a7 a census tract or block numbering area in which the median income does not exceed #hj percent of the area median income2 7,b7 families with income not greater than #ajj percent of the area median income that reside in minority census tracts2 7,c7 families with income not greater than #ajj percent of the area median income that reside in areas affected by disasters1 as determined by the ,administrator of the ,federal ,transit ,administration2 7,d7 a census tract that has a minority population of at least #cj percent or a median income of less than #ajj percent of the area median income2 7,e7 a community that has low access to jobs and essential services1 as determined by the ,secretary2 or 7,f7 a census block or group of geographically contiguous census blocks in which the population of any racial or ethnic minority individuals1 individually or in combination1 comprises #cj percent or more of the population of persons in the census block or group of geographically contiguous census blocks4 4 7b7 ,federal transit program general purposes ,section #ecja7;b7 of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#i7 support public transportation's role in combating climate change through growing_/retaining transit ridership4 4 7c7 ,applicability of law ,the ,secretary of ,transportation shall ensure that the requirements of section #eccc of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 are applied to section #ecjh of such title 7as added by subsection 7a774 7d7 ,,gao report ,not later than #d years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall submit to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs of the ,senate a report that reviews the outcomes of the program established under section #ecjh of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 as added by subsection 7a71 including new service produced and improvements in access to work and essential services1 particularly for areas of persistent poverty and underserved communities4 7e7 ,clerical amendment ,the analysis for chapter #ec of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section #ecjg the following3 #ecjh4 ,high quality transit operating support program4 4 7f7 ,sense of congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that capital funding for transit should be increased4 #c4 ,increased ,federal share of operating costs for rural areas ,section #ecaa7;g77#b7 of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended to read as follows3 7#b7 ,operating assistance ,a grant made under this section for operating assistance may not exceed #hj percent of the net operating costs of the project1 as determined by the ,secretary4 4