I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1038

To establish a regional investments for national growth program to identify

and fund metropolitan regional transportation projects that are essential

to the national economy but exceed State and regional financial capacity.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 9, 1999

Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was referred

to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

A BILL

To establish a regional investments for national growth program to identify and fund metropolitan regional transportation projects that are essential to the national economy but exceed State and regional financial capacity.

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Regional Investments

5 for National Growth Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 Congress finds that—
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1 (1) the economic infrastructure of metropolitan

2 regions assists businesses in those regions in provid3 ing quality goods and services at a low cost;

4 (2) maintaining and improving the economic in5 frastructure of metropolitan regions is essential for

6 the success of the Nation in the world economy; and

7 (3) building efficient transportation links within

8 and between metropolitan regions is critical to that

9 economic infrastructure.

10 SEC. 3. REGIONAL INVESTMENTS FOR NATIONAL GROWTH

11 PROGRAM.

12 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Transpor13 tation shall establish a regional investments for national

14 growth program (hereinafter in this section referred to as

15 the ‘‘RING program’’) for the purpose of identifying and

16 funding large multi-State and regional transportation

17 projects that are essential to the global competitiveness

18 of the United States.

19 (b) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Regional transportation in21 frastructure investments that include participation

22 by 2 or more States (or public authorities represent23 ing 2 or more States) or improve access to inter24 national commerce centers such as ports, commercial

25 aviation facilities, and major rail terminals and that
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1 meet the requirements of paragraph (2) shall be eli2 gible for funding under the RING program.

3 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—In order to be eligible for

4 funding under the RING program, a project shall—

5 (A) support the economic growth of the

6 Nation through improved movement of people

7 and goods;

8 (B) improve intermodal connections by in9 creasing access to ports, airports, rail terminals,

10 distribution centers, or other passenger or

11 freight rail hubs;

12 (C) address capacity constraints that ham13 per the movement of people and goods between

14 States or metropolitan regions;

15 (D) contribute to the global competitive16 ness of the United States; and

17 (E) not be currently funded for construc18 tion.

19 (c) SELECTION PROCESS.—

20 (1) SOLICITATION OF PROPOSALS.—Within 6

21 months of the date of the enactment of this Act, the

22 Secretary of Transportation shall solicit proposals

23 for projects to be carried out under the RING pro24 gram. Any State, multi-State region, or multi-State

25 agency may submit a proposal.
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1 (2) RECOMMENDED PROJECTS.—Within 1 year

2 of such date of enactment, the Secretary shall trans3 mit a report to Congress recommending eligible

4 projects.

5 (3) FINAL PROPOSALS.—Within 6 months of

6 the date of issuance of the report under paragraph

7 (2), sponsors of those projects recommended as eligi8 ble shall submit a final proposal to the Secretary.

9 (4) RANKING OF PROJECTS.—Within 6 months

10 of receiving final proposals, the Secretary shall

11 transmit a report to Congress ranking the projects

12 in priority order.

13 (d) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In considering projects

14 for inclusion in the report required by subsection (c)(2),

15 the Secretary shall consider the following criteria:

16 (1) Time savings for both goods and people.

17 (2) Volume of goods and number of users af18 fected.

19 (3) Reduction in costs of goods movement.

20 (4) Relief the project provides to capacity limi21 tations of existing infrastructure.

22 (5) Benefits for multi-State facilities and oper23 ations.

24 (6) Promotion of efficient multi-modal usage.
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1 (7) Level of State, local, and regional financial

2 support for the project.

3 (8) Private sector funding opportunities.

4 (e) FUNDING ELIGIBILITY.—

5 (1) PROJECT PROPOSAL FUNDING.—Those

6 projects included by the Secretary in the report re7 quired by subsection (c)(2) shall be eligible to receive

8 project proposal funding under the RING program.

9 (2) DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FUNDING.—

10 Those projects included by the Secretary in the re11 port required by subsection (c)(4) shall be eligible to

12 receive design and engineering funding under the

13 RING program.

14 (f) REIMBURSEMENT FOR PLANNING AND DESIGN.—

15 Projects included by the Secretary in the report required

16 by subsection (c)(2) shall also be eligible for reimburse17 ment of funds for planning and design which have been

18 expended prior to the issuance of such report.

19 (g) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the eli20 gible costs of a project under the RING program shall not

21 exceed 75 percent.

22 (h) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.—All projects

23 receiving assistance under this section shall comply with

24 other laws governing transportation projects and pro-
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1 grams, including the National Environmental Policy Act

2 of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

3 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

4 are authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway

5 Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) such

6 sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

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