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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5570 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5570

To amend title 23, United States Code, to establish a grant program to 
rebuild and improve transportation infrastructure at urban waterfronts, 
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            December 17 (legislative day, December 16), 2024

  Mr. Cardin introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to establish a grant program to 
rebuild and improve transportation infrastructure at urban waterfronts, 
                        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 ``Constructing Resilient and Enduring 
Waterfronts Act'' or the ``CREW Act''.

SEC. 2. CONSTRUCTING RESILIENT AND ENDURING WATERFRONTS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 180. Constructing Resilient and Enduring Waterfronts program
    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Program.--The term `program' means the Constructing 
        Resilient and Enduring Waterfronts program established under 
        subsection (b).
            ``(2) Urban waterfront.--The term `urban waterfront' means 
        an area of land within an urbanized area that is in the 
        vicinity of a major river, lake, estuary, or ocean that--
                    ``(A) includes land immediately adjacent to that 
                body of water; and
                    ``(B) is planned or used for multiple uses, 
                including residential and commercial uses, public parks 
                and green space, and infrastructure to support such 
                uses.
            ``(3) Urban waterfront development plan.--The term `urban 
        waterfront development plan' means a plan that--
                    ``(A) considers the improvement of all, or 1 or 
                more parts, of an urban waterfront for the purposes of 
                economic development, housing, safety, and resilience 
                to flooding and extreme weather; and
                    ``(B) identifies a need for not less than 
                $200,000,000 in investments for transportation, public 
                spaces, and other infrastructure at the urban 
                waterfront.
    ``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program, to 
be known as the `Constructing Resilient and Enduring Waterfronts 
program', to provide grants, on a competitive basis, to rebuild and 
improve transportation infrastructure at urban waterfronts.
    ``(c) Purposes.--The purposes of the program are--
            ``(1) to improve the resilience of public space and public 
        infrastructure from extreme weather events, flooding, and 
        rising sea levels;
            ``(2) to improve circulation and access to waterfront 
        resources for the general public;
            ``(3) to unlock the economic benefits of urban waterfronts; 
        and
            ``(4) to restore and improve air quality and water quality 
        at urban waterfronts.
    ``(d) Eligible Entities.--An entity eligible to receive a grant 
under the program is any of the following:
            ``(1) A State or political subdivision of a State.
            ``(2) A metropolitan planning organization.
            ``(3) A unit of local government.
            ``(4) A special purpose district or public authority 
        established for the purpose of implementing an urban waterfront 
        development plan.
            ``(5) A nonprofit entity established and authorized by a 
        State to implement an urban waterfront development plan.
    ``(e) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the 
program, an eligible entity described in subsection (d) shall submit to 
the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(f) Eligible Costs.--Funds from a grant under the program may be 
used for--
            ``(1) reconstruction and realignment of the street network 
        at the urban waterfront in order--
                    ``(A) to expand access to the waterfront to larger 
                numbers of visitors;
                    ``(B) to calm traffic; or
                    ``(C) to provide safer conditions for people using 
                nonmotorized transportation;
            ``(2) construction of pedestrian walkways at the urban 
        waterfront;
            ``(3) construction or improvement of green infrastructure 
        at the urban waterfront--
                    ``(A) to improve natural conditions;
                    ``(B) to strengthen resilience; or
                    ``(C) to provide flood protection;
            ``(4) construction or improvement of infrastructure at the 
        urban waterfront providing resilience and protection against 
        flooding and sea level rise, such as seawalls;
            ``(5) activities to repair or improve utilities required by 
        or associated with construction of roadways or other 
        transportation infrastructure at the urban waterfront;
            ``(6) changes or improvements to stormwater infrastructure 
        at the urban waterfront;
            ``(7) installation, replacement, or repair of lighting, 
        signage, or planting at the urban waterfront; or
            ``(8) activities eligible under section 133(h).
    ``(g) Urban Waterfront Development Plan.--
            ``(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        the program, an eligible entity described in subsection (d) 
        shall--
                    ``(A) demonstrate that there is in effect for the 
                urban waterfront an urban waterfront development plan 
                that was developed by the applicable unit of local 
                government through a robust process of public 
                engagement;
                    ``(B) demonstrate that the urban waterfront 
                development plan has taken into consideration the best 
                available science and data regarding the 
                vulnerabilities of the urban waterfront to flooding 
                caused by sea level rise or extreme weather events; and
                    ``(C) demonstrate the need for implementing the 
                project as part of the urban waterfront development 
                plan in terms of the progress the project would make 
                toward achieving 1 or more purposes described in 
                subsection (c).
            ``(2) Multiple existing plans.--The Secretary may determine 
        that an eligible entity has made the demonstration described in 
        paragraph (1)(A) through a combination of existing plans.
            ``(3) Inclusion.--A project eligible to be carried out 
        under the program shall be within the scope of the applicable 
        urban waterfront development plan.
    ``(h) Grant Amount.--A grant provided under the program shall be 
not less than $30,000,000.
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit 
Account) to carry out the program $300,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2027 through 2031.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 179 the following:

``180. Constructing Resilient and Enduring Waterfronts program.''.
                                 <all>
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