```

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7424 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7424

 To direct the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Energy 
 to jointly conduct a study on the development of facilities for solar 
energy generation, solar energy storage, and solar energy transmission 
  or distribution on available Federal land adjacent to the National 
                Highway System, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 20, 2024

   Mr. Schiff (for himself, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Norton, Mr. Johnson of 
Georgia, Mr. Carson, Mr. Peters, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Salinas, Ms. 
Lee of California, and Mr. Trone) introduced the following bill; which 
    was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To direct the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Energy 
 to jointly conduct a study on the development of facilities for solar 
energy generation, solar energy storage, and solar energy transmission 
  or distribution on available Federal land adjacent to the National 
                Highway System, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Renewable Roadsides Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON DEVELOPING AVAILABLE FEDERAL LAND ADJACENT TO THE 
              NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM FOR SOLAR ENERGY GENERATION, 
              SOLAR ENERGY STORAGE, AND SOLAR ENERGY TRANSMISSION OR 
              DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than December 31, 2025, the Secretary of 
Transportation and the Secretary of Energy shall jointly conduct a 
study on the development of facilities for solar energy generation, 
solar energy storage, and solar energy transmission or distribution on 
available Federal land adjacent to the National Highway System.
    (b) Scope of Study.--When conducting the study required under 
subsection (a), the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of 
Energy shall--
            (1) evaluate the suitability of available Federal land 
        adjacent to the National Highway System for the development of 
        facilities for solar energy generation, solar energy storage, 
        and solar energy transmission or distribution; and
            (2) identify the issues and policies impeding the 
        development of such facilities on available Federal land 
        adjacent to the National Highway System, including existing 
        laws, safety concerns, land suitability, development 
        feasability, and competition with other priorities that the 
        Federal Government has identified for such Federal land.
    (c) Report.--Not later than December 31, 2026, the Secretary of 
Transportation and the Secretary of Energy shall jointly issue to 
Congress a report, which shall include--
            (1) the results of the study required under subsection (a);
            (2) recommendations on how to facilitate the development of 
        facilities for solar energy generation, solar energy storage, 
        and solar energy transmission or distribution on available 
        Federal land adjacent to the National Highway System;
            (3) the identification of Federal requirements for 
        developing such facilities on available Federal land adjacent 
        to the National Highway System, including any safety or 
        environmental issues involved in developing such facilities and 
        the steps required to mitigate such issues; and
            (4) recommendations for a process for entities to apply to 
        the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy 
        for a lease, an easement, or a joint-use agreement to build and 
        operate such facilities on available Federal land adjacent to 
        the National Highway System for a term that is not shorter than 
        the useful life of such facilities.
    (d) National Highway System Defined.--In this section, the term 
``National Highway System'' means the Federal-aid highway system 
described in section 103(b) of title 23, United States Code.
                                 <all>
```