I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1266 

To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to assist units 

of local government in developing and implementing plans, known as 

Vision Zero plans, to eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 1, 2017 

Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself and Mr. BUCHANAN) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants 

to assist units of local government in developing and 

implementing plans, known as Vision Zero plans, to 

eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries, 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 ‘‘Vision Zero Act of 

5 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. VISION ZERO PLANNING GRANTS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation 

3 is authorized to award grants to eligible entities to develop 

4 a plan, known as a Vision Zero plan, to eliminate trans5 portation-related fatalities and serious injuries in the ju6 risdiction of such entity within a specified timeframe, not 

7 to exceed 20 years. 

8 (b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant under 

9 this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary 

10 an application at such time, in such form, and containing 

11 such information and assurances as the Secretary may re12 quire. 

13 (c) PLAN CONTENTS.—The Vision Zero plan de14 scribed in subsection (a) shall include— 

15 (1) a description of projects or policies intended 

16 to eliminate transportation-related fatalities and se17 rious injuries within a specified timeframe, not to 

18 exceed 20 years, using existing transportation and 

19 health data and consideration of risk factors, which 

20 may include— 

21 (A) an examination of how development 

22 and implementation of safety-focused auto23 motive technologies, vehicle-to-vehicle commu24 nication, and vehicle-to-infrastructure commu25 nication can help eliminate transportation-re26 lated fatalities and serious injuries; and 


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1 (B) roadway design guidance that 

2 prioritizes the safety of all users, with a focus 

3 on reducing speeds to the extent practicable 

4 within State law and separating modes of trans5 portation; 

6 (2) plans for implementation of, education of 

7 the public about, and enforcement of such projects 

8 or policies; 

9 (3) a description of how such policies, projects, 

10 and enforcement will— 

11 (A) equitably address the safety needs of 

12 low-income and minority communities; 

13 (B) ensure that such communities are not 

14 disproportionately targeted by law enforcement; 

15 and 

16 (C) protect the rights of members of such 

17 communities with respect to title VI of the Civil 

18 Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.); 

19 (4) a description of the required involvement of 

20 various subdivisions of a unit of local government in 

21 the implementation of the plan, including subdivi22 sions in charge of law enforcement, public health, 

23 and public works; and 

24 (5) a description of a mechanism to evaluate 

25 progress of the implementation of the plan, including 


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1 the gathering and use of transportation safety and 

2 demographic data. 

3 SEC. 3. VISION ZERO IMPLEMENTATION GRANT PROGRAM. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 

5 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor6 tation may award grants to not more than 5 eligible enti7 ties to support the implementation of a Vision Zero plan 

8 to eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious 

9 injuries in the jurisdiction of such entity within a specified 

10 timeframe, not to exceed 20 years. 

11 (b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant under 

12 this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary 

13 an application at such time, in such form, and containing 

14 such information and assurances as the Secretary may re15 quire. 

16 (c) VISION ZERO PLAN REQUIRED.—To be eligible 

17 for a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall have 

18 in effect a Vision Zero plan that meets the requirements 

19 of section 2(c) and has been approved by local resolution, 

20 ordinance, or law. 

21 (d) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting from among 

22 eligible entities to receive grants under subsection (a), the 

23 Secretary shall consider, at a minimum, the extent to 

24 which an entity— 


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1 (1) provided an opportunity for public input in 

2 the development of the plan, including documented 

3 engagement with low-income and minority commu4 nities; 

5 (2) considered existing plans and planning proc6 esses in the drafting of the vision zero plan; 

7 (3) structured the plan to meet performance 

8 measures as described in section 150(c) of title 23, 

9 United States Code; 

10 (4) demonstrates broad community support for 

11 the plan, including the commitment of community 

12 leaders to successful implementation of the plan; and 

13 (5) demonstrates the availability of State, local, 

14 or Federal funds, in addition to Federal funds made 

15 available under this section, for implementation of 

16 the plan. 

17 (e) FUNDING LIMITATIONS.— 

18 (1) POPULATION LIMITATION.—Not less than 

19 25 percent of the funds made available to carry out 

20 this section shall be used to make grants to eligible 

21 entities that serve a jurisdiction with a population of 

22 fewer than 200,000 individuals. 

23 (2) FEDERAL SHARE.— 

24 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided by 

25 subparagraph (B), the Federal share of the cost 


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1 of a project or activity carried out using grant 

2 funds made available under this section may 

3 not exceed 80 percent. 

4 (B) FUNDS FROM OTHER FEDERAL

5 SOURCES.—Amounts made available to an eligi6 ble entity under another Federal program may 

7 be credited toward the non-Federal share of the 

8 cost of a project or activity described in sub9 paragraph (A), at the option of the eligible enti10 ty. 

11 SEC. 4. ELIGIBLE ENTITY DEFINED. 

12 In this Act, the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means a unit 

13 of local government including a city, town, township, bor14 ough, county, parish, district, village, or other political 

15 subdivision of a State. 

16 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

17 Not later than 2 years after the final grant is award18 ed under this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, 

19 and make available to the public, a report on the progress 

20 of the projects and activities carried out using the grants 

21 including— 

22 (1) a breakdown of infrastructure and noninfra23 structure projects; 

24 (2) demographic data, in the aggregate, with 

25 respect to individuals charged with a violation of law 


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1 referenced in the vision zero plan of an eligible enti2 ty that received a grant under this Act; and 

3 (3) best practices from the eligible entities that 

4 received a grant under section 3. 

5 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

6 There is authorized to be appropriated, for each of 

7 fiscal years 2018 through 2022, $5,000,000 to carry out 

8 section 2 and $25,000,000 to carry out section 3. 

Æ 


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