#aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #aahi ,,an ,,act ,to establish a pilot grant program to improve recycling accessibility1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,recycling ,infrastructure and ,accessibility ,act of #bjbd4 #b4 ,recycling ,infrastructure and ,accessibility ,program 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency4 7#b7 ,curbside recycling ,the term curbside recycling means the process by which residential recyclable materials are picked up curbside4 7#c7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means-- 7,a7 a ,state 7as defined in section #ajjd of the ,solid ,waste ,disposal ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fijc772 7,b7 a unit of local government2 7,c7 an ,indian ,tribe2 and 7,d7 a public-private partnership4 7#d7 ,indian ,tribe ,the term ,indian ,tribe has the meaning given the term in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd74 7#e7 ,materials recovery facility 7,a7 ,in general ,the term materials recovery facility means a recycling facility where primarily residential recyclables1 which are diverted from disposal by a generator and collected separately from municipal solid waste1 are mechanically or manually sorted into commodities for further processing into specification-grade commodities for sale to end users4 7,b7 ,exclusion ,the term materials recovery facility does not include a solid waste management facility that may process municipal solid waste to remove recyclable materials4 7#f7 ,pilot grant program ,the term pilot grant program means the ,recycling ,infrastructure and ,accessibility ,program established under subsection 7b74 7#g7 ,recyclable material ,the term recyclable material means obsolete1 previously used1 off-specification1 surplus1 or incidentally produced material for processing into a specification-grade commodity for which a market exists4 7#h7 ,transfer station ,the term transfer station means a facility that-- 7,a7 receives and consolidates recyclable material from curbside recycling or drop-off facilities2 and 7,b7 loads the recyclable material onto tractor trailers1 railcars1 or barges for transport to a distant materials recovery facility or another recycling-related facility4 7#i7 ,underserved community ,the term underserved community means a community1 including an unincorporated area1 without access to full recycling services because-- 7,a7 transportation1 distance1 or other reasons render utilization of available processing capacity at an existing materials recovery facility cost prohibitive2 or 7,b7 the processing capacity of an existing materials recovery facility is insufficient to manage the volume of recyclable materials produced by that community4 7b7 ,establishment ,not later than #ah months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall establish a pilot grant program1 to be known as the ,recycling ,infrastructure and ,accessibility ,program1 to award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to eligible entities to improve recycling accessibility in a community or communities within the same geographic area4 7c7 ,goal ,the goal of the pilot grant program is to fund eligible projects that will significantly improve accessibility to recycling systems through investments in infrastructure in underserved communities through the use of a hub-and-spoke model for recycling infrastructure development4 7d7 ,applications ,to be eligible to receive a grant under the pilot grant program1 an eligible entity shall submit to the ,administrator an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,administrator may require4 7e7 ,considerations ,in selecting eligible entities to receive a grant under the pilot grant program1 the ,administrator shall consider-- 7#a7 whether the community or communities in which the eligible entity is seeking to carry out a proposed project has curbside recycling2 7#b7 whether the proposed project of the eligible entity will improve accessibility to recycling services in a single underserved community or multiple underserved communities2 and 7#c7 if the eligible entity is a public-private partnership1 the financial health of the private entity seeking to enter into that public-private partnership4 7f7 ,priority ,in selecting eligible entities to receive a grant under the pilot grant program1 the ,administrator shall give priority to eligible entities seeking to carry out a proposed project in a community in which there is not more than #a materials recovery facility within a #ge-mile radius of that community4 7g7 ,use of funds ,an eligible entity awarded a grant under the pilot grant program may use the grant funds for projects to improve recycling accessibility in communities1 including in underserved communities1 by-- 7#a7 increasing the number of transfer stations2 7#b7 expanding curbside recycling collection programs where appropriate2 and 7#c7 leveraging public-private partnerships to reduce the costs associated with collecting and transporting recyclable materials in underserved communities4 7h7 ,prohibition on use of funds ,an eligible entity awarded a grant under the pilot grant program may not use the grant funds for projects relating to recycling education programs4 7i7 ,minimum and maximum grant amount ,a grant awarded to an eligible entity under the pilot grant program shall be in an amount-- 7#a7 not less than #ejj1jjj2 and 7#b7 not more than #ae1jjj1jjj4 7j7 ,set-,aside ,the ,administrator shall set aside not less than #gj percent of the amounts made available to carry out the pilot grant program for each fiscal year to award grants to eligible entities to carry out a proposed project or program in a single underserved community or multiple underserved communities4 7k7 ,federal share ,the ,federal share of the cost of a project or program carried out by an eligible entity using grant funds shall be not more than #ie percent4 7l7 ,report ,not later than #b years after the date on which the first grant is awarded under the pilot grant program1 the ,administrator shall submit to ,congress a report describing the implementation of the pilot grant program1 which shall include-- 7#a7 a list of eligible entities that have received a grant under the pilot grant program2 7#b7 the actions taken by each eligible entity that received a grant under the pilot grant program to improve recycling accessibility with grant funds2 and 7#c7 to the extent information is available1 a description of how grant funds received under the pilot grant program improved recycling rates in each community in which a project or program was carried out under the pilot grant program4 7m7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,in general ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,administrator to carry out the pilot grant program #cj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbe through #bjbi1 to remain available until expended4 7#b7 ,administrative costs and technical assistance ,of the amounts made available under paragraph 7#a71 the ,administrator may use up to #e percent-- 7,a7 for administrative costs relating to carrying out the pilot grant program2 and 7,b7 to provide technical assistance to eligible entities applying for a grant under the pilot grant program4 ,passed the ,senate ,march #ab1 #bjbd4,secretary