I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2665 

To establish national centers of excellence for regional smart growth planning, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 2, 2009 

Ms. MATSUI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To establish national centers of excellence for regional smart 

growth planning, 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 Centers of 

5 Excellence for Regional Smart Growth Planning Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NATIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR RE7 GIONAL SMART GROWTH PLANNING. 

8 (a) DESIGNATION AND SELECTION OF NATIONAL

9 CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.—In accordance with the re10 quirements of this Act, the Administrator shall designate 


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1 not fewer than 3 national centers of excellence for regional 

2 smart growth planning, selected from metropolitan plan3 ning organizations that have demonstrated regional plan4 ning excellence by— 

5 (1) developing and using state-of-the-art data 

6 and modeling tools that accurately estimate travel, 

7 air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and other 

8 impacts from regional land use patterns and trans9 portation systems; 

10 (2) engaging a broad range of citizens and 

11 stakeholders in regional planning in an interactive or 

12 innovative manner; 

13 (3) forming political consensus through regional 

14 transportation plans that predict significant im15 provements in future travel patterns, air emissions, 

16 and other impacts compared to baseline projections; 

17 (4) showing significant changes to land use pat18 terns and transportation systems that conform with 

19 regional transportation plans; 

20 (5) maintaining effective partnerships with 

21 local, State, and Federal agencies working on re22 gional smart growth planning; and 

23 (6) providing expert technical assistance. 


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1 (b) GUIDELINES.—The Administrator shall develop 

2 guidelines for the designation and operation of the Cen3 ters. 

4 (c) FUNDING.—Of the amounts available to carry out 

5 this Act, the Administrator shall allocate not more than 

6 $5,000,000 for each fiscal year to each Center to carry 

7 out this section. 

8 (d) GENERAL OPERATION.—The Centers shall— 

9 (1) collect information and best practices 

10 about— 

11 (A) regional smart growth planning; 

12 (B) street design and implementation of 

13 complete streets policy by local governments; 

14 (C) transit-oriented, mixed-use, and infl. 

15 development; 

16 (D) use of data, models, and performance 

17 metrics to develop smart growth plans; 

18 (E) needed upgrades to models from 

19 MPOs; and 

20 (F) effective civic engagement in regional 

21 smart growth planning; 

22 (2) distribute smart growth planning informa23 tion and best practices to MPOs that are seeking 

24 to— 


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1 (A) upgrade data, models, and perform2 ance metrics; 

3 (B) achieve greenhouse gas reductions in 

4 regional transportation plans; or 

5 (C) work effectively with units of local gov6 ernment to coordinate regional planning and 

7 economic development plans; 

8 (3) make research and development rec9 ommendations to the Environmental Protection 

10 Agency and other appropriate entities to further im11 prove the quality and ease of smart growth analysis; 

12 (4) work with appropriate institutions of higher 

13 education and State and Federal agencies to further 

14 improve smart growth analysis; and 

15 (5) provide technical assistance to grant recipi16 ents under section 3. 

17 SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS. 

18 (a) GRANT AUTHORITY.—The Administrator, in con19 sultation with the Centers, may make grants on a competi20 tive basis to eligible entities for— 

21 (1) improving the collection of data and the de22 velopment of models for smart growth planning; 

23 (2) implementing comprehensive regional smart 

24 growth planning programs; 


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1 (3) applying planning outcomes in regional 

2 transportation plans; and 

3 (4) working with units of local governments to 

4 coordinate land use, transportation, and air quality 

5 planning. 

6 (b) APPLICATION.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 

8 grant under subsection (a), an entity shall submit to 

9 the Administrator an application at such time, in 

10 such manner, and containing such information and 

11 assurances as the Administrator may require. 

12 (2) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—An entity is 

13 eligible to receive a grant under this section only if 

14 such entity— 

15 (A) is an MPO; 

16 (B) commits to use funds to develop and 

17 maintain a regional database that contains high 

18 quality data and modeling capability; 

19 (C) agrees to make a good-faith effort to 

20 produce and adopt plans that use the latest 

21 available estimates and assumptions for popu22 lation, land use, travel, employment, congestion, 

23 and economic activity; 

24 (D) provides long-term guidance to the 

25 public to minimize greenhouse gas emissions by 


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1 reducing vehicle miles traveled, offering more 

2 housing choices within existing urban centers, 

3 and incorporating new housing and employment 

4 close to existing public transportation options; 

5 and 

6 (E) has a demonstrated record of working 

7 effectively with the units of local government 

8 within the region. 

9 (c) MATCHING REQUIREMENTS.— 

10 (1) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of 

11 the cost of a project under this section shall be 80 

12 percent. 

13 (2) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal 

14 share of the cost of carrying out a project under this 

15 section may be provided through an in-kind con16 tribution. 

17 (d) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the end 

18 of the grant period for which an MPO receives a grant 

19 under this section, such MPO shall submit a report to the 

20 Administrator regarding the use of such grant. 

21 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

22 As used in this Act: 

23 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis24 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ25 mental Protection Agency. 


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1 (2) CENTER.—The term ‘‘Center’’ means a na2 tional center of excellence for regional smart growth 

3 planning designated under section 2(a). 

4 (3) COMPLETE STREETS POLICY.—The term 

5 ‘‘complete streets policy’’ means a transportation 

6 law or policy at the local, State, regional, or Federal 

7 level that ensures— 

8 (A) the adequate accommodation, in all 

9 phases of project planning and development, of 

10 all users of the transportation system, including 

11 pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit users, chil12 dren, older individuals, motorists, and individ13 uals with disabilities; and 

14 (B) the consideration of the safety and 

15 convenience of all users in all phases of project 

16 planning and development. 

17 (4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

18 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

19 meaning given such term in section 101 of the High20 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 

21 (5) METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZA22 TION.—The term ‘‘metropolitan planning organiza23 tion’’ or ‘‘MPO’’ has the meaning given such term 

24 in section 134(b)(2) of title 23, United States Code. 


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1 (6) SMART GROWTH.—The term ‘‘smart 

2 growth’’ means policies regarding growth and devel3 opment that— 

4 (A) recognize the effects of new growth 

5 and development, including the environmental, 

6 economic, and social costs, such as— 

7 (i) loss of open space, farmland, rural 

8 landscapes, wildlife, or natural, cultural, 

9 scenic, or recreational resources; or 

10 (ii) high public costs for infrastruc11 ture, public facilities, or transportation 

12 that lead to disinvestment in older urban 

13 or suburban areas; and 

14 (B) attempt to mitigate such effects in ad15 vance so as to avoid or reduce the negative im16 pacts of such effects. 

17 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

18 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Admin19 istrator to carry out this Act $65,000,000 for each of fis20 cal years 2010 through 2015. 

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