SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR GRANTS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC 
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Trans-
portation, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, shall establish a pilot program to award grants 
for the improvement of public transportation services for 
veterans. 
(b) AWARD OF GRANTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out the pilot 
program, the Secretary of Transportation may 
award grants to eligible recipients for eligible public 
transportation projects. 
(2) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary 
of Transportation shall ensure that, to the extent 
practicable, grants awarded under this section are 
equitably distributed across geographic regions, in-
cluding rural and Tribal communities. 
(3) GRANT
RECIPIENT
REQUIREMENTS.—A 
grant under this section shall be subject to the re-
quirements of— 
(A) section 5307 of title 49, United States 
Code, for eligible recipients of grants made in 
urbanized areas; and 
(B) section 5311 of such title for eligible 
recipients of grants made in rural areas. 
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(4) ALLOCATION TO SUBRECIPIENTS.—A recipi-
ent of a grant under this section may allocate 
amounts provided under the grant to a subrecipient. 
(5) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall award 
grants under the pilot program to eligible recipients 
at not fewer than 5 eligible locations. 
(c) GRANT APPLICATION.—An eligible recipient seek-
ing the award of a grant under this section shall submit 
to the Secretary of Transportation an application in such 
form, in such manner, and containing such commitments 
and information as the Secretary considers necessary to 
carry out this section, including the following: 
(1) A description of the public transportation 
services that the eligible recipient intends to provide 
with such grant. 
(2) A list of all sites to be served by such serv-
ices, including any sites that are facilities and orga-
nizations that serve veterans. 
(3) The frequency and hours of operation of 
such services. 
(4) An estimate of the number of veterans that 
would use such services. 
(5) Evidence that the eligible recipient has the 
legal, technical, and financial capacity to carry out 
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the project proposed to be carried out with such 
grant. 
(d) NOTIFICATION TO VETERANS.—Each recipient 
awarded a grant under this section shall publicize and con-
duct outreach targeted to veterans regarding the transpor-
tation services funded under this section. 
(e) TERMINATION.—The pilot program established 
under this section shall terminate on the date that is 5 
years after the date on which the pilot program com-
mences. 
(f) DATA COLLECTION.—Not later than 90 days after 
the termination date described in subsection (e), each re-
cipient of a grant under this section shall submit to the 
Secretary of Transportation a report containing informa-
tion on the projects carried out with such grant, includ-
ing— 
(1) a description of the effects of expanded geo-
graphic coverage, improved service quality, increased 
frequency, or other activities funded with such grant 
on public transportation services for veterans; 
(2) a description of any accessibility improve-
ments made as a result of such projects; 
(3) a description of changes in ridership due to 
such projects, including estimates or data regarding 
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both general ridership and the number of veterans 
served; 
(4) a description of the size and type of public 
transportation vehicles used in services funded with 
a grant awarded under this section; 
(5) information on whether the use of facilities 
or organizations that serve veterans has increased 
due to such projects; and 
(6) any other information the Secretary re-
quires. 
(g) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
on which the reports required under subsection (f) are 
submitted, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate, a re-
port on the results of the pilot program carried out under 
this section based on the information provided in the re-
ports required under subsection (f). 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
nitions shall apply: 
(1) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘eligible 
recipient’’ means— 
(A) a State or local governmental entity; 
and 
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(B) a Tribe or Tribal governmental entity. 
(2) ELIGIBLE LOCATION.—The term ‘‘eligible 
location’’ means— 
(A) a rural area, as defined in section 
5302 of title 49, United States Code; or 
(B) an urbanized area, as defined in sec-
tion 5302 of title 49, United States Code, that 
has a population of fewer than 200,000 individ-
uals. 
(3) ELIGIBLE
TRANSPORTATION
PROJECT.— 
The term ‘‘eligible transportation project’’ means— 
(A) a project planned, designed, and car-
ried out to expand, modify, retain, or establish 
public transportation services that provide vet-
erans access to locations of facilities or organi-
zations that serve veterans that is— 
(i) a capital project; or 
(ii) a project to acquire such public 
transportation services, including entering 
into service agreements with private pro-
viders of public transportation; or 
(B) operating costs associated with such 
project. 
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(4) FACILITY OR ORGANIZATION THAT SERVES 
VETERANS.—The term ‘‘facility or organization that 
serves veterans’’ means— 
(A) a facility of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs; 
(B) an organization or facility that pro-
vides services to veterans using funds provided 
by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
(C) and organization or facility proven to 
serve a significant number or percentage of the 
local population of veterans. 
(5) NET
PROJECT
COST.—The term ‘‘net 
project cost’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 5302 of title 49, United States Code. 
(6) SUBRECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘subrecipient’’ 
means a State or local governmental authority, a 
private nonprofit organization, or an operator of 
public transportation services. 
Æ 
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