I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5101 

To establish a National Freight Network Trust Fund to improve the 

performance of the national freight network, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 14, 2014 

Ms. HAHN (for herself, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. LOWENTHAL, 

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. NOLAN, Mr. RUSH, and Ms. FUDGE) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on 

Ways and Means, 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 establish a National Freight Network Trust Fund to 

improve the performance of the national freight network, 

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 ‘‘National Freight Net5 work Trust Fund Act of 2014’’. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 5101 IH

1 SEC. 2. NATIONAL FREIGHT NETWORK TRUST FUND. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the 

3 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at 

4 the end the following new section: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 9512. NATIONAL FREIGHT NETWORK TRUST FUND. 

6 ‘‘(a) CREATION OF TRUST FUND.—There is hereby 

7 established in the Treasury of the United States a trust 

8 fund to be known as the ‘National Freight Network Trust 

9 Fund’, consisting of such amounts as may be appropriated 

10 or credited to such Trust Fund as provided in this section 

11 and section 9602(b). 

12 ‘‘(b) TRANSFERS TO TRUST FUND.—There are here13 by appropriated to the National Freight Network Trust 

14 Fund amounts equivalent to 5 percent of the import duties 

15 imposed under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 

16 United States. 

17 ‘‘(c) EXPENDITURES.—Amounts in the National 

18 Freight Network Trust Fund shall be available as pro19 vided in appropriations Acts only for making expenditures 

20 to fund awards under the National Freight Network Grant 

21 Program established under section 3(a) of the National 

22 Freight Network Trust Fund Act of 2014.’’. 

23 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

24 for subchapter A of chapter 98 of such Code is amended 

25 by adding at the end the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 9512. National Freight Network Trust Fund.’’. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 5101 IH

1 SEC. 3. NATIONAL FREIGHT NETWORK GRANT PROGRAM. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established in 

3 the Department of Transportation a National Freight 

4 Network Grant Program (in this section referred to as the 

5 ‘‘Program’’) to improve the performance of the national 

6 freight network. 

7 (b) GRANT AUTHORITY.—Under the Program, the 

8 Secretary of Transportation, in accordance with the na9 tional freight strategic plan developed under section 167 

10 of title 23, United States Code, may make a grant to as11 sist any project that improves the performance of a seg12 ment of the national freight network. 

13 (c) GRANT RECIPIENTS.—Under the Program, the 

14 Secretary may make a grant to the following: 

15 (1) A State. 

16 (2) A regional or local transportation organiza17 tion. 

18 (3) A port authority. 

19 (d) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant under 

20 the Program, an entity specified in subsection (c) shall 

21 submit to the Secretary an application regarding a pro22 posed project at such time, in such form, and containing 

23 such information as the Secretary determines is appro24 priate. 

25 (e) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In making grants under 

26 the Program, the Secretary shall evaluate and select 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 5101 IH

1 projects on a competitive basis by considering the potential 

2 of the projects to— 

3 (1) generate national economic benefits; 

4 (2) improve the performance of key corridors 

5 and gateways; 

6 (3) reduce congestion; 

7 (4) improve transportation safety; and 

8 (5) enhance the national freight network. 

9 (f) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 

10 of a project assisted with a grant under the Program shall 

11 be 90 percent. 

12 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

13 authorized to be appropriated each fiscal year to carry out 

14 the Program the amounts available in the National 

15 Freight Network Trust Fund established under section 

16 9512 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. 

17 (h) NATIONAL FREIGHT NETWORK DEFINED.—In 

18 this section, the term ‘‘national freight network’’ means— 

19 (1) the national freight network established 

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

21 (2) roads and rail lines that connect such net22 work to a port; 

23 (3) on-dock rail; 

24 (4) projects that appear in a State freight plan; 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 5101 IH

1 (5) projects that appear in a regional transpor2 tation plan; 

3 (6) high freight volume roadway or rail cor4 ridors that provide connectivity for— 

5 (A) ports; 

6 (B) intermodal connectors; 

7 (C) multimodal freight facilities; 

8 (D) multistate freight corridors; 

9 (E) international borders; or 

10 (F) airports; and 

11 (7) railway-highway grade separations. 

12 SEC. 4. NATIONAL FREIGHT POLICY. 

13 Section 167(c)(1) of title 23, United States Code, is 

14 amended by inserting ‘‘, and update every 5 years there15 after,’’ after ‘‘shall establish’’. 

Æ 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS