,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #cigh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #c1 #bjbf,ms4 ,smith 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,rounds1 and ,ms4 ,baldwin7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to increase the ,federal operating share for rural transit1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,investments in ,rural ,transit ,act4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,administration ,the term ,administration means the ,federal ,transit ,administration4 7#b7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,administration4 7#c7 ,rural area ,the term rural area has the meaning given the term in section #ecjb of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#d7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,transportation4 #c4 ,procurement streamlining 7a7 ,expansion ,section #cjai7;b7 of the ,,fast ,act 7#di ,u4,s4,c4 #ecbe note7 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a77;,a7-- 7,a7 in clause 7i77,i71 by inserting or local after ,state2 7,b7 in clause 7ii71 by striking subclauses 7,i7 and 7,,ii7 and inserting the following3 7,i7 a nonprofit cooperative purchasing organization that is not a grantee2 7,,ii7 a consortium of grantees2 or 7,,iii7 a consortium of entities described in subclause 7,i72 2 7,c7 in clause 7iii71 by inserting or local after ,state2 and 7,d7 by amending clause 7v7 to read as follows3 7v7 the term participate means to purchase or procure under a cooperative procurement contract1 using assistance provided under chapter #ec of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code-- 7,i7 rolling stock and related equipment2 7,,ii7 farebox equipment1 software or technology2 or 7,,iii7 other equipment or technology eligible for assistance under that chapter4 2 and 7#b7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7,a7 in the paragraph heading1 by inserting government1 local government1 or eligible nonprofit entity after ,state2 7,b7 by inserting 1 local government1 or eligible nonprofit entity after ,state government each place that term appears2 and 7,c7 by inserting or other equipment or technology eligible under chapter #ec of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 after related equipment each place that term appears4 7b7 ,recommendations ,the ,secretary1 acting through the ,administrator1 shall-- 7#a7 establish a process to solicit feedback from grantees1 ,state departments of transportation1 and other relevant parties for improving and streamlining joint procurement and cooperative procurement and other strategies for improving rolling stock procurement and other procurements2 7#b7 assess the feedback solicited under paragraph 7#a7 and make advisory recommendations to improve and streamline-- 7,a7 joint procurement2 7,b7 cooperative procurement2 or 7,c7 other procurement strategies for rolling stock2 and 7#c7 submit to ,congress and make publicly available on the website of the ,administration annual reports on advisory recommendations concerning procurement1 including recommended statutory1 regulatory1 and or guidance changes and potential cost savings4 #d4 ,amendments to mass transit 7a7 ,in general ,chapter #ec of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #ecaa-- 7,a7 in subsection 7g77#b7-- 7i7 by striking assistance and all that follows through subparagraph 7,b71 a and inserting assistance4--,a2 7ii7 by striking #ej and inserting #hj2 and 7iii7 by striking subparagraph 7,b72 and 7,b7 by adding at the end the following3 7k7 ,regulatory relief ,the ,secretary1 acting through the ,administrator of the ,federal ,transit ,administration1 shall establish a process to make recommendations to the ,administrator regarding regulatory relief for recipients of assistance under this section1 which shall include input from rural transit agencies1 ,tribal transit agencies1 ,state departments of transportation1 and other relevant parties4 2 and 7#b7 in section #ecci7;b71 by adding at the end the following3 7#ab7 ,tribal projects 7,a7 ,in general ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71 not less than #e percent of the amounts made available under this subsection in a fiscal year shall be distributed to ,tribal transit agencies4 7,b7 ,unutilized amounts ,the ,secretary may use less than #e percent of the amounts made available under this subsection in a fiscal year for the projects described in subparagraph 7,a7 if the ,secretary cannot meet the requirements of that subparagraph due to insufficient eligible applications4 7,c7 ,government share of costs ,the ,federal share of the cost of an eligible project carried out under this subsection shall be up to #ajj percent4 4 #e4 ,associate ,administrator for ,program ,management and ,tribal ,transit ,not later than#a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall designate an ,associate ,administrator for ,program ,management and ,tribal ,transit within the ,administration1 who shall1 in addition to any responsibilities assigned by the ,secretary or the ,administrator1 focus on capacity-building1 coordination1 and technical assistance for ,tribal transit4 #f4 ,joint review on low- to no-emission procurement opportunities in rural areas ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary and the ,secretary of ,energy shall consult with rural transit agencies1 ,tribal transit agencies1 and other relevant parties and issue a publicly available joint report on opportunities to make the procurement of low- and no-emission infrastructure by rural transit agencies more efficient1 in particular opportunities to collaborate with other public entities in the community1 including school districts and municipalities4