I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5290 

To establish a Military Community Infrastructure Program to provide grants 

for transportation infrastructure improvements in military communities, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2014 

Mr. HECK of Washington (for himself, Mr. JONES, and Mr. KILMER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 

Services 

A BILL 

To establish a Military Community Infrastructure Program 

to provide grants for transportation infrastructure improvements in military communities, 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 ‘‘Creating Opportunities 

5 for Military Members to Use Transportation Efficiently 

6 Act of 2014’’ or the ‘‘COMMUTE Act of 2014’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MILITARY COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE PRO2 GRAM. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months after 

4 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es5 tablish a Military Community Infrastructure Program 

6 under which the Secretary may provide grants to eligible 

7 entities for transportation infrastructure improvement 

8 projects in military communities. 

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

10 the Program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Sec11 retary an application at such time, in such form, and con12 taining such information as the Secretary may require. 

13 (c) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Grants awarded under the 

15 Program may be used for transportation infrastruc16 ture improvement projects, including— 

17 (A) the construction of roads; 

18 (B) the construction of mass transit and 

19 parking facilities; 

20 (C) the construction of, or upgrades to, pe21 destrian access and bicycle access; and 

22 (D) upgrades to public transportation sys23 tems. 

24 (2) LOCATION.—To be eligible for a grant 

25 under the Program, a project described in paragraph 

26 (1) shall be— 


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1 (A) related to improving access to a mili2 tary installation, as determined by the Sec3 retary; and 

4 (B) in a location that is— 

5 (i) within or abutting an urbanized 

6 area (as designated by the Bureau of the 

7 Census); and 

8 (ii) designated as a growth community 

9 by the Office of Economic Adjustment. 

10 (d) CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding grants under 

11 the Program, the Secretary shall give consideration to— 

12 (1) the magnitude of the problem addressed by 

13 the project; 

14 (2) the proportion of the problem addressed by 

15 the project that is caused by military installation 

16 growth since the year 2000; 

17 (3) the number of servicemembers and civilian 

18 employees of the Department of Defense affected by 

19 the problem addressed by the project; 

20 (4) the size of the community affected by the 

21 problem addressed by the project; 

22 (5) the ability of the relevant eligible entity to 

23 execute the project; and 

24 (6) the extent to which the project resolves the 

25 transportation problem addressed. 


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1 (e) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 

2 of a project carried out using grant amounts made avail3 able under the Program may not exceed 80 percent. 

4 SEC. 3. TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

6 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct 

7 a traffic impact study for any urbanized area (as des8 ignated by the Bureau of the Census) that expects a sig9 nificant increase in traffic related to a military installation 

10 within or abutting the urbanized area. 

11 (b) CONTENTS.—A traffic impact study under sub12 section (a) shall determine any transportation improve13 ments needed because of an increase in the number of 

14 military personnel, including study of commute sheds af15 fected by installation-related traffic. 

16 (c) CONSULTATION.—In developing a traffic impact 

17 study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult 

18 with— 

19 (1) the metropolitan planning organization or 

20 regional transportation planning organization with 

21 jurisdiction over the urbanized area; and 

22 (2) the commander of the appropriate military 

23 installation. 

24 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

25 In this Act: 


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1 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti2 ty’’ means— 

3 (A) a State or political subdivision thereof; 

4 (B) an owner or operator of public trans5 portation; 

6 (C) a local governmental authority (as 

7 such term is defined in section 5302 of title 49, 

8 United States Code); 

9 (D) a metropolitan planning organization; 

10 or 

11 (E) a regional transportation planning or12 ganization. 

13 (2) METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

14 AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGA15 NIZATION.—The terms ‘‘metropolitan planning orga16 nization’’ and ‘‘regional transportation planning or17 ganization’’ have the meanings given those terms in 

18 section 134(b) of title 23, United States Code. 

19 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

20 the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Direc21 tor of the Office of Economic Adjustment. 

22 (4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 

23 the several States, the District of Columbia, and any 

24 territory or possession of the United States. 


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1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 There is authorized to be appropriated, to carry out 

3 this Act, $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2015 and 

4 $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2019, 

5 to remain available until expended. 

Æ 


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