II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 649 

To improve the process for awarding grants under certain programs of the 

Department of Transportation to certain counties in which the majority 

of land is owned or managed by the Federal Government and to other 

units of local government and Tribal governments in those counties, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 9, 2021 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself and Mr. DAINES) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To improve the process for awarding grants under certain 

programs of the Department of Transportation to certain 

counties in which the majority of land is owned or managed by the Federal Government and to other units 

of local government and Tribal governments in those 

counties, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘More Opportunities 

3 for Rural Economies from DOT Grants Act’’ or the 

4 ‘‘MORE DOT Grants Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

6 In this Act: 

7 (1) HIGH-DENSITY PUBLIC LAND COUNTY.— 

8 The term ‘‘High-Density Public Land County’’ 

9 means a county (or equivalent jurisdiction) of a 

10 State or territory of the United States— 

11 (A) that has a population of not more than 

12 100,000 people, according to the most recent 

13 annual estimates of population by the Bureau 

14 of the Census; and 

15 (B) in which more than 50 percent of the 

16 land is owned or managed by the Federal Gov17 ernment. 

18 (2) QUALIFYING GRANT PROGRAM.—The term 

19 ‘‘qualifying grant program’’ means— 

20 (A) the Better Utilizing Investments to Le21 verage Development (BUILD) Transportation 

22 discretionary grant program of the Department 

23 of Transportation; 

24 (B) the Infrastructure for Rebuilding 

25 America (INFRA) grant program of the De26 partment of Transportation; 


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1 (C) the public transportation innovation 

2 grant program established under section 5312 

3 of title 49, United States Code; 

4 (D) the public transportation safety pro5 gram established under section 5329 of title 49, 

6 United States Code; 

7 (E) the Federal lands access program 

8 under section 204 of title 23, United States 

9 Code; 

10 (F) the airport improvement program es11 tablished under subchapter I of chapter 471 of 

12 title 49, United States Code; 

13 (G) the consolidated rail infrastructure and 

14 safety improvements program under section 

15 22907 of title 49, United States Code; and 

16 (H) any other discretionary grant program 

17 of the Department of Transportation under 

18 which grants are awarded to— 

19 (i) counties; 

20 (ii) other units of local government; or 

21 (iii) Tribal governments. 

22 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

23 the Secretary of Transportation. 

24 (4) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 

25 government’’ means the recognized governing body 


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1 of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, 

2 pueblo, village, community, component band, or com3 ponent reservation, individually identified (including 

4 parenthetically) in the list published most recently as 

5 of the date of enactment of this Act pursuant to sec6 tion 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe 

7 List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131). 

8 SEC. 3. GRANTS. 

9 (a) REDUCTION IN LOCAL MATCHING REQUIRE10 MENTS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

11 with respect to a High-Density Public Land County and 

12 any unit of local government or Tribal government within 

13 a High-Density Public Land County, any requirement for 

14 local matching funds under a qualifying grant program 

15 shall be reduced by 50 percent. 

16 (b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—On request of a High17 Density Public Land County or any unit of local govern18 ment or Tribal government within a High-Density Public 

19 Land County, the Secretary shall provide additional tech20 nical assistance to the High-Density Public Land County, 

21 unit of local government, or Tribal government before and 

22 during the annual application period for each qualifying 

23 grant program. 

24 (c) PRIORITY.— 


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1 (1) APPLICATION APPROVAL.—In approving ap2 plications for a qualifying grant program, the Sec3 retary shall give priority to an application from a 

4 High-Density Public Land County, unit of local gov5 ernment within a High-Density Public Land County, 

6 or Tribal government within a High-Density Public 

7 Land County that has not received support under 

8 the qualifying grant program during the 10-year pe9 riod preceding the date of the application. 

10 (2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER SUP11 PORT.—In carrying out subsections (b) and (e), the 

12 Secretary may give priority to a Tribal government 

13 within a High-Density Public Land County. 

14 (d) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—In approving appli15 cations for a qualifying grant program, the Secretary— 

16 (1) shall give special consideration to an appli17 cation from a High-Density Public Land County or 

18 unit of local government within a High-Density Pub19 lic Land County with respect to any rural set-aside 

20 designated for the applicable qualifying grant pro21 gram by an Act of Congress; and 

22 (2) may give special consideration to an appli23 cation from a Tribal government within a High-Den24 sity Public Land County with respect to a rural set25 aside described in paragraph (1). 


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1 (e) OTHER SUPPORT.—The Secretary may provide 

2 additional support, as the Secretary determines to be ap3 propriate, for a High-Density Public Land County or a 

4 unit of local government or Tribal government within a 

5 High-Density Public Land County, including by consid6 ering and, if appropriate, offering flexibility with respect 

7 to any requirement of, or barrier to applying for or receiv8 ing assistance under, a qualifying grant program if the 

9 requirement or barrier relates to— 

10 (1) scoring criteria relating to numerical size 

11 and impact, such as the number of jobs created or 

12 the number of people served, which disadvantage 

13 small and isolated communities; 

14 (2) any requirement that an applicant for a 

15 qualifying grant program partner with other institu16 tions, such as community colleges or foundations, 

17 which may not operate in the jurisdiction of the 

18 High-Density Public Land County, unit of local gov19 ernment, or Tribal government seeking assistance 

20 under the qualifying grant program; 

21 (3) any financial or cash-on-hand requirement 

22 that a High-Density Public Land County or a unit 

23 of local government or Tribal government within a 

24 High-Density Public Land County cannot meet for 

25 reasons other than any financial constraints to 


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1 which the High-Density Public Land County, unit of 

2 local government, or Tribal government is subject; or 

3 (4) an overly complicated or overly technical ap4 plication for a qualifying grant program that deters 

5 High-Density Public Land Counties or units of local 

6 government or Tribal governments within High-Den7 sity Public Land Counties from applying for the 

8 qualifying grant program. 

Æ 


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