I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5016 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a Revitalize Rural 

America Grant Program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 14, 2018 

Mr. ABRAHAM introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a 

Revitalize Rural America Grant Program, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Revitalize Rural Amer5 ica Act of 2018’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REVITALIZE RURAL AMERICA GRANT PROGRAM. 

7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days 

2 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec3 retary of Transportation shall establish a Revitalize 

4 Rural America Grant Program (in this section re5 ferred to as the ‘‘Program’’) to facilitate infrastruc6 ture projects in rural areas. 

7 (2) GOALS.—The goals of the Program shall be 

8 to— 

9 (A) generate regional and national eco10 nomic benefits; 

11 (B) improve the safety, efficiency, and reli12 ability of the movement of people, commodities, 

13 and goods; 

14 (C) reduce highway congestion and bottle15 necks; 

16 (D) improve connectivity between modes of 

17 transportation; 

18 (E) enhance the resiliency of critical infra19 structure; 

20 (F) improve infrastructure vital to national 

21 energy and food security; 

22 (G) increase access to reliable high-speed 

23 internet; and 

24 (H) improve the health and vitality of 

25 rural communities. 


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1 (b) GRANT AUTHORITY.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the Pro3 gram, the Secretary may make grants, on a competi4 tive basis, to public and private entities in accord5 ance with this section. 

6 (2) LIMITATIONS.— 

7 (A) LOCATION.—The Secretary may only 

8 make a grant under the Program for a project 

9 carried out in a rural area (as such term is de10 fined in section 117(i)(3) of title 23, United 

11 States Code). 

12 (B) AMOUNT.—The aggregate amount of 

13 grant funding that the Secretary may provide 

14 under the Program for an individual project 

15 may not exceed $40,000,000. 

16 (c) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant under 

17 the Program an entity shall submit to the Secretary an 

18 application in such form, at such time, and containing 

19 such information as the Secretary determines is appro20 priate. 

21 (d) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—The Secretary may make 

22 a grant under the Program for a project that is— 

23 (1) a highway or bridge project carried out on 

24 the National Highway System; 


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1 (2) a highway freight project carried out on the 

2 National Highway Freight Network established 

3 under section 167 of title 23, United States Code; 

4 (3) a drinking water or wastewater project; 

5 (4) a telecommunications project; 

6 (5) a project for flood control or waterborne 

7 navigation; or 

8 (6) a project related to the electric grid. 

9 (e) ELIGIBLE PROJECT COSTS.—Grant amounts re10 ceived for a project under the Program may be used for— 

11 (1) development phase activities, including plan12 ning, feasibility analysis, revenue forecasting, envi13 ronmental review, preliminary engineering and de14 sign work, and other preconstruction activities; and 

15 (2) construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, 

16 acquisition of real property (including land related 

17 to the project and improvements to the land), envi18 ronmental mitigation, construction contingencies, ac19 quisition of equipment, and operational improve20 ments directly related to improving system perform21 ance. 

22 (f) PROJECT REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary may 

23 select a project for funding under the Program only if the 

24 Secretary determines that— 


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1 (1) the project will generate national and re2 gional economic, mobility, or safety benefits; 

3 (2) the project will be cost effective and have a 

4 measurable return on investment; 

5 (3) the project will contribute to the accom6 plishment of one or more of the goals described 

7 under subsection (a)(2); 

8 (4) the project is based on the results of pre9 liminary engineering; 

10 (5) with respect to related non-Federal financial 

11 commitments— 

12 (A) one or more stable and dependable 

13 sources of funding and financing are available 

14 to construct, maintain, and operate the project; 

15 and 

16 (B) contingency amounts are available to 

17 cover unanticipated cost increases; 

18 (6) the project cannot be easily and efficiently 

19 completed without Federal funding or financial as20 sistance available to the project sponsor; and 

21 (7) the project is reasonably expected to begin 

22 construction not later than 18 months after the date 

23 of obligation of funds for the project. 

24 (g) PRIORITY CONSIDERATION.—In making a grant 

25 under the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to— 


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1 (1) a project for which non-Federal contribu2 tions exceed 25 percent of the costs of the project; 

3 and 

4 (2) a project in an area with an unemployment 

5 rate that exceeds the national average. 

6 (h) FEDERAL SHARE.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para8 graph (2), the Federal share of the cost of a project 

9 assisted with a grant under the Program may not 

10 exceed 75 percent. 

11 (2) MAXIMUM FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT.—Fed12 eral assistance other than a grant under the Pro13 gram may be used to satisfy the non-Federal share 

14 of the cost of a project for which such a grant is 

15 made, except that the total Federal assistance pro16 vided for a project receiving a grant under the Pro17 gram may not exceed 80 percent of the total project 

18 cost. 

19 (i) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the Program, 

20 the Secretary shall consult with the heads of other Federal 

21 departments and agencies as appropriate. 

22 (j) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.— 

23 (1) NOTIFICATION.— 

24 (A) REQUIREMENT.—At least 60 days be25 fore making a grant for a project under the 


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1 Program, the Secretary shall notify, in writing, 

2 the Committee on Transportation and Infra3 structure, the Committee on Agriculture, and 

4 the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 

5 House of Representatives and the Committee 

6 on Environment and Public Works, the Com7 mittee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, 

8 and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

9 Transportation of the Senate of the proposed 

10 grant. 

11 (B) CONTENTS.—A notification under sub12 paragraph (A) shall include an evaluation and 

13 justification for the relevant project and the 

14 amount of the proposed grant award. 

15 (2) CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL.—The Sec16 retary may not make a grant or any other obligation 

17 or commitment to fund a project under the Program 

18 if a joint resolution is enacted disapproving funding 

19 for the project before the last day of the 60-day pe20 riod described in paragraph (1). 

21 (k) REPORTS.— 

22 (1) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall 

23 make available on the website of the Department of 

24 Transportation at the end of each fiscal year an an25 nual report that lists each project for which a grant 


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1 has been provided under the Program during that 

2 fiscal year. 

3 (2) COMPTROLLER GENERAL.— 

4 (A) ASSESSMENT.—The Comptroller Gen5 eral of the United States shall conduct an as6 sessment of the administrative establishment, 

7 solicitation, selection, and justification process 

8 with respect to grants under the Program. 

9 (B) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after 

10 the initial awarding of grants under the Pro11 gram, the Comptroller General shall submit to 

12 the Committee on Transportation and Infra13 structure, the Committee on Agriculture, and 

14 the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 

15 House of Representatives and the Committee 

16 on Environment and Public Works, the Com17 mittee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, 

18 and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

19 Transportation of the Senate a report that de20 scribes— 

21 (i) the adequacy and fairness of the 

22 process by which each project selected for 

23 a grant under the Program was selected; 

24 and 


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1 (ii) the justification and criteria used 

2 for the selection of each such project. 

3 SEC. 3. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANT PRO4 GRAM. 

5 (a) STP SET-ASIDE.—Section 133(h) of title 23, 

6 United States Code, is amended— 

7 (1) by striking paragraphs (2) through (7); and 

8 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(2) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds reserved under 

10 paragraph (1) shall be used by the Secretary to 

11 carry out and make grants under the Revitalize 

12 Rural America Grant Program.’’. 

13 (b) TREATMENT OF PROJECTS.—Section 133(i) of 

14 title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘(ex15 cluding those carried out under subsection (h)(5))’’. 

16 SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR REVITALIZE RURAL 

17 AMERICA GRANT PROGRAM. 

18 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

19 authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Revitalize 

20 Rural America Grant Program (established under section 

21 2 of this Act) $1,301,785,760 for each of fiscal years 2019 

22 and 2020. 

23 (b) CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANTS.—Section 

24 5338(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 


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1 striking ‘‘through 2020’’ and inserting ‘‘through 2018 and 

2 $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 and 2020’’. 

Æ 


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