,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fdea  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #d1        
#bjbe,mr4 ,larsen of ,washington        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,transportation and ,infrastructure  ,a 
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,transportation to establish a pilot    
program for grants to improve access to 
public transportation services for      
veterans1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,veterans ,access to ,transit ,act  
or the ,,va ,transit ,act4  #b4 ,pilot  
program for grants to improve public    
transportation services for veterans    
7a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,transportation1
 in consultation with the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs1 shall establish a   
pilot program to award grants for the   
improvement of public transportation    
services for veterans4  7b7 ,award of   

grants  7#a7 ,in general ,in carrying   
out the pilot program1 the ,secretary of
 ,transportation may award grants to    
eligible recipients for eligible public 
transportation projects4  7#b7          
,equitable distribution ,the ,secretary 
of ,transportation shall ensure that1 to
 the extent practicable1 grants awarded 
under this section are equitably        
distributed across geographic regions1  
including rural and ,tribal communities4
  7#c7 ,grant recipient requirements ,a 
grant under this section shall be       
subject to the requirements of-- 7,a7   
section #ecjg of title #di1 ,united     
,states ,code1 for eligible recipients  
of grants made in urbanized areas2 and  
7,b7 section #ecaa of such title for    
eligible recipients of grants made in   
rural areas4  7#d7 ,allocation to       
subrecipients ,a recipient of a grant   
under this section may allocate amounts 
provided under the grant to a           
subrecipient4  7#e7 ,locations ,the     
,secretary shall award grants under the 

pilot program to eligible recipients at 
not fewer than #e eligible locations4   
7c7 ,grant application ,an eligible     
recipient seeking the award of a grant  
under this section shall submit to the  
,secretary of ,transportation an        
application in such form1 in such       
manner1 and containing such commitments 
and information as the ,secretary       
considers necessary to carry out this   
section1 including the following3 7#a7  
,a description of the public            
transportation services that the        
eligible recipient intends to provide   
with such grant4  7#b7 ,a list of all   
sites to be served by such services1    
including any sites that are facilities 
and organizations that serve veterans4  
7#c7 ,the frequency and hours of        
operation of such services4  7#d7 ,an   
estimate of the number of veterans that 
would use such services4  7#e7 ,evidence
 that the eligible recipient has the    
legal1 technical1 and financial capacity
 to carry out the project proposed to be

 carried out with such grant4  7d7      
,notification to veterans ,each         
recipient awarded a grant under this    
section shall publicize and conduct     
outreach targeted to veterans regarding 
the transportation services funded under
 this section4  7e7 ,termination ,the   
pilot program established under this    
section shall terminate on the date that
 is #e years after the date on which the
 pilot program commences4  7f7 ,data    
collection ,not later than #ij days     
after the termination date described in 
subsection 7e71 each recipient of a     
grant under this section shall submit to
 the ,secretary of ,transportation a    
report containing information on the    
projects carried out with such grant1   
including-- 7#a7 a description of the   
effects of expanded geographic coverage1
 improved service quality1 increased    
frequency1 or other activities funded   
with such grant on public transportation
 services for veterans2  7#b7 a         
description of any accessibility        

improvements made as a result of such   
projects2  7#c7 a description of changes
 in ridership due to such projects1     
including estimates or data regarding   
both general ridership and the number of
 veterans served2  7#d7 a description of
 the size and type of public            
transportation vehicles used in services
 funded with a grant awarded under this 
section2  7#e7 information on whether   
the use of facilities or organizations  
that serve veterans has increased due to
 such projects2 and  7#f7 any other     
information the ,secretary requires4    
7g7 ,report ,not later than #ahj days   
after the date on which the reports     
required under subsection 7f7 are       
submitted1 the ,secretary of            
,transportation 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 ,senate1 a report on the results 
of the pilot program carried out under  

this section based on the information   
provided in the reports required under  
subsection 7f74  7h7 ,definitions ,in   
this section1 the following definitions 
shall apply3 7#a7 ,eligible recipient   
,the term eligible recipient means--    
7,a7 a ,state or local governmental     
entity2 and  7,b7 a ,tribe or ,tribal   
governmental entity4  7#b7 ,eligible    
location ,the term eligible location    
means-- 7,a7 a rural area1 as defined in
 section #ecjb of title #di1 ,united    
,states ,code2 or  7,b7 an urbanized    
area1 as defined in section #ecjb of    
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 that  
has a population of fewer than #bjj1jjj 
individuals4  7#c7 ,eligible            
transportation project ,the term        
eligible transportation project means-- 
7,a7 a project planned1 designed1 and   
carried out to expand1 modify1 retain1  
or establish public transportation      
services that provide veterans access to
 locations of facilities or             
organizations that serve veterans that  

is-- 7i7 a capital project2 or  7ii7 a  
project to acquire such public          
transportation services1 including      
entering into service agreements with   
private providers of public             
transportation2 or  7,b7 operating costs
 associated with such project4  7#d7    
,facility or organization that serves   
veterans ,the term facility or          
organization that serves veterans       
means-- 7,a7 a facility of the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs2  7,b7
 an organization or facility that       
provides services to veterans using     
funds provided by the ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs2 and  7,c7 and       
organization or facility proven to serve
 a significant number or percentage of  
the local population of veterans4  7#e7 
,net project cost ,the term net project 
cost has the meaning given such term in 
section #ecjb of title #di1 ,united     
,states ,code4  7#f7 ,subrecipient ,the 
term subrecipient means a ,state or     
local governmental authority1 a private 

nonprofit organization1 or an operator  
of public transportation services4