Revitalize Rural America Act of 2018

Summary: Revitalize Rural America Act of 2018 This bill requires the Department of Transportation to establish a Revitalize Rural America Grant Program to facilitate infrastructure projects in rural areas. Priority must be given to projects for which nonfederal contributions exceed 25% of the costs of the project and projects in an area with an unemployment rate that exceeds the national average. The bill requires that the set-aside of funds for states under the surface transportation block grant program be used for the Revitalize Rural America Grant Program.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Revitalize Rural America Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. REVITALIZE RURAL AMERICA GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall 
        establish a Revitalize Rural America Grant Program (in this 
        section referred to as the ``Program'') to facilitate 
        infrastructure projects in rural areas.
            (2) Goals.--The goals of the Program shall be to--
                    (A) generate regional and national economic 
                benefits;
                    (B) improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability 
                of the movement of people, commodities, and goods;
                    (C) reduce highway congestion and bottlenecks;
                    (D) improve connectivity between modes of 
                transportation;
                    (E) enhance the resiliency of critical 
                infrastructure;
                    (F) improve infrastructure vital to national energy 
                and food security;
                    (G) increase access to reliable high-speed 
                internet; and
                    (H) improve the health and vitality of rural 
                communities.
    (b) Grant Authority.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the Program, the Secretary 
        may make grants, on a competitive basis, to public and private 
        entities in accordance with this section.
            (2) Limitations.--
                    (A) Location.--The Secretary may only make a grant 
                under the Program for a project carried out in a rural 
                area (as such term is defined in section 117(i)(3) of 
                title 23, United States Code).
                    (B) Amount.--The aggregate amount of grant funding 
                that the Secretary may provide under the Program for an 
                individual project may not exceed $40,000,000.
    (c) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under the Program an 
entity shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at 
such time, and containing such information as the Secretary determines 
is appropriate.
    (d) Eligible Projects.--The Secretary may make a grant under the 
Program for a project that is--
            (1) a highway or bridge project carried out on the National 
        Highway System;
            (2) a highway freight project carried out on the National 
        Highway Freight Network established under section 167 of title 
        23, United States Code;
            (3) a drinking water or wastewater project;
            (4) a telecommunications project;
            (5) a project for flood control or waterborne navigation; 
        or
            (6) a project related to the electric grid.
    (e) Eligible Project Costs.--Grant amounts received for a project 
under the Program may be used for--
            (1) development phase activities, including planning, 
        feasibility analysis, revenue forecasting, environmental 
        review, preliminary engineering and design work, and other 
        preconstruction activities; and
            (2) construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, 
        acquisition of real property (including land related to the 
        project and improvements to the land), environmental 
        mitigation, construction contingencies, acquisition of 
        equipment, and operational improvements directly related to 
        improving system performance.
    (f) Project Requirements.--The Secretary may select a project for 
funding under the Program only if the Secretary determines that--
            (1) the project will generate national and regional 
        economic, mobility, or safety benefits;
            (2) the project will be cost effective and have a 
        measurable return on investment;
            (3) the project will contribute to the accomplishment of 
        one or more of the goals described under subsection (a)(2);
            (4) the project is based on the results of preliminary 
        engineering;
            (5) with respect to related non-Federal financial 
        commitments--
                    (A) one or more stable and dependable sources of 
                funding and financing are available to construct, 
                maintain, and operate the project; and
                    (B) contingency amounts are available to cover 
                unanticipated cost increases;
            (6) the project cannot be easily and efficiently completed 
        without Federal funding or financial assistance available to 
        the project sponsor; and
            (7) the project is reasonably expected to begin 
        construction not later than 18 months after the date of 
        obligation of funds for the project.
    (g) Priority Consideration.--In making a grant under the Program, 
the Secretary shall give priority to--
            (1) a project for which non-Federal contributions exceed 25 
        percent of the costs of the project; and
            (2) a project in an area with an unemployment rate that 
        exceeds the national average.
    (h) Federal Share.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        Federal share of the cost of a project assisted with a grant 
        under the Program may not exceed 75 percent.
            (2) Maximum federal involvement.--Federal assistance other 
        than a grant under the Program may be used to satisfy the non-
        Federal share of the cost of a project for which such a grant 
        is made, except that the total Federal assistance provided for 
        a project receiving a grant under the Program may not exceed 80 
        percent of the total project cost.
    (i) Consultation.--In carrying out the Program, the Secretary shall 
consult with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies as 
appropriate.
    (j) Congressional Notification.--
            (1) Notification.--
                    (A) Requirement.--At least 60 days before making a 
                grant for a project under the Program, the Secretary 
                shall notify, in writing, the Committee on 
                Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on 
                Agriculture, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
                of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
                Environment and Public Works, the Committee on 
                Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and the Committee 
                on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
                of the proposed grant.
                    (B) Contents.--A notification under subparagraph 
                (A) shall include an evaluation and justification for 
                the relevant project and the amount of the proposed 
                grant award.
            (2) Congressional disapproval.--The Secretary may not make 
        a grant or any other obligation or commitment to fund a project 
        under the Program if a joint resolution is enacted disapproving 
        funding for the project before the last day of the 60-day 
        period described in paragraph (1).
    (k) Reports.--
            (1) Annual report.--The Secretary shall make available on 
        the website of the Department of Transportation at the end of 
        each fiscal year an annual report that lists each project for 
        which a grant has been provided under the Program during that 
        fiscal year.
            (2) Comptroller general.--
                    (A) Assessment.--The Comptroller General of the 
                United States shall conduct an assessment of the 
                administrative establishment, solicitation, selection, 
                and justification process with respect to grants under 
                the Program.
                    (B) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the 
                initial awarding of grants under the Program, the 
                Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on 
                Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on 
                Agriculture, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
                of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
                Environment and Public Works, the Committee on 
                Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and the Committee 
                on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
                a report that describes--
                            (i) the adequacy and fairness of the 
                        process by which each project selected for a 
                        grant under the Program was selected; and
                            (ii) the justification and criteria used 
                        for the selection of each such project.

SEC. 3. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) STP Set-Aside.--Section 133(h) of title 23, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraphs (2) through (7); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Use of funds.--Funds reserved under paragraph (1) 
        shall be used by the Secretary to carry out and make grants 
        under the Revitalize Rural America Grant Program.''.
    (b) Treatment of Projects.--Section 133(i) of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ``(excluding those carried out 
under subsection (h)(5))''.

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR REVITALIZE RURAL AMERICA GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out the Revitalize Rural America Grant Program 
(established under section 2 of this Act) $1,301,785,760 for each of 
fiscal years 2019 and 2020.
    (b) Capital Investment Grants.--Section 5338(d) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ``through 2020'' and inserting 
``through 2018 and $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 and 
2020''.