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and delivering environmentally sound surface trans-
portation projects. 
(2) RURAL SAFETY.—To provide research, train-
ing, and outreach on innovative uses of technology to 
enhance rural safety and economic development, as-
sess local community needs to improve access to mo-
bile emergency treatment, and develop online and 
seminar training needs of rural transportation prac-
titioners and policy-makers. 
(3) PROJECT FINANCE.—To provide support to 
State transportation departments in the development 
of finance plans and project oversight tools and to de-
velop and offer training in state of the art financing 
methods to advance projects and leverage funds. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the amounts made avail-
able under section 5101(a)(1), the Secretary shall 
make available $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2004 through 2009 to carry out this section. 
(2) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—Of the funds made 
available under paragraph (1) the Secretary shall use 
such amounts as follows: 
(A) 40 percent to establish the Center for 
Environmental Excellence.
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(B) 30 percent to establish the Center for 
Excellence in Rural Safety. 
(C) 30 percent to establish the Center for 
Excellence in Project Finance. 
(3) APPLICABILITY OF TITLE 23.—Funds author-
ized by this section shall be available for obligation in 
the same manner as if such funds were apportioned 
under chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, except 
that the Federal share shall be 100 percent. 
(e) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.—
(1) COMPETITION.—A party entering into a con-
tract, cooperative agreement, or other transaction 
with the Secretary, or receiving a grant to perform 
research or provide technical assistance under this 
section shall be selected on a competitive basis, to the 
maximum extent practicable. 
(2) STRATEGIC PLAN.—The Secretary shall re-
quire each center to develop a multiyear strategic 
plan that describes—
(A) the activities to be undertaken; and 
(B) how the work of the center is coordi-
nated with the activities of the Federal Highway 
Administration and the various other research, 
development, and technology transfer activities 
authorized by this title. Such plans shall be sub-
856
mitted to the Secretary by January 1, 2006, and 
each year thereafter. 
SEC. 5611. REPEAL. 
Subtitle C of title V of The Transportation Equity Act 
for the 21st Century (23 U.S.C. 502 note; 112 Stat. 452–
463) is repealed. 
SEC. 5612. SPECIAL RULE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004. 
In any case in which an amount is authorized to be 
appropriated, made available, allocated, set aside, taken 
down, or subject to an obligation limitation for fiscal year 
2004 for a program, project, or activity in any provision 
of this title, including an amendment made by this title, 
that is different than the amount authorized to be appro-
priated, made available, allocated, set aside, taken down, 
or subject to an obligation limitation for fiscal year 2004 
for such program, project, or activity in any provision of 
the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2004, Part V 
(Public Law 108–310), including any amendment made by 
such Act, the amount referred to in such Act shall be the 
amount authorized to be appropriated, made available, al-
located, set aside, taken down, or subject to an obligation 
limitation.
857
TITLE 
VI—TRANSPORTATION 
PLANNING AND PROJECT DE-
LIVERY 
SEC. 6001. TRANSPORTATION PLANNING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle III of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 51 the 
following: 
‘‘CHAPTER 52—TRANSPORTATION 
PLANNING AND PROJECT DELIVERY
‘‘SUBCHAPTER A—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘5201. Definitions. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER B—TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND PROJECT DELIVERY 
‘‘5211. Policy. 
‘‘5212. Definitions. 
‘‘5213. Metropolitan transportation planning. 
‘‘5214. Statewide transportation planning. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER C—EFFICIENT ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS FOR PROJECT 
DECISIONMAKING 
‘‘5251. Definitions and applicability. 
‘‘5252. Project development procedures.
‘‘SUBCHAPTER A—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
‘‘§ 5201. Definitions 
‘‘In this chapter, the following definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
the Secretary of Transportation. 
‘‘(2) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means a State of 
the United States, the District of Columbia, and 
Puerto Rico.
858
‘‘SUBCHAPTER B—TRANSPORTATION PLANNING 
AND PROJECT DELIVERY 
‘‘§ 5211. Policy 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—It is in the national interest to—
‘‘(1) encourage and promote the safe and effi-
cient management, operation, and development of sur-
face transportation systems that will serve the mobil-
ity needs of people and freight and foster economic 
growth and development within and between States 
and urbanized areas, while minimizing transpor-
tation-related fuel consumption and air pollution 
through metropolitan and statewide transportation 
planning processes identified in this chapter; and 
‘‘(2) encourage the continued improvement and 
evolution of the metropolitan and statewide transpor-
tation planning processes by metropolitan planning 
organizations, State departments of transportation, 
and public transit operators as guided by the plan-
ning factors identified in sections 5213(f) and 
5214(d). 
‘‘(b) COMMON
TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING
PRO-
GRAM.—This subchapter provides a common transportation 
planning program to be administered by the Federal High-
way Administration and the Federal Transit Administra-
tion.
859
‘‘§ 5212. Definitions 
‘‘(a) APPLICABILITY BY REFERENCE.—Unless other-
wise specified in subsection (b), the definitions in section 
101(a) of title 23 and section 5302 are applicable to this 
subchapter. 
‘‘(b) ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS.—In this subchapter, 
the following definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) METROPOLITAN PLANNING AREA.—The term 
‘metropolitan planning area’ means the geographic 
area determined by agreement between the metropoli-
tan planning organization for the area and the Gov-
ernor under section 5213(c). 
‘‘(2) 
METROPOLITAN
PLANNING
ORGANIZA-
TION.—The term ‘metropolitan planning organiza-
tion’ means the policy board of an organization cre-
ated as a result of the designation process in section 
5213(b). 
‘‘(3) NONMETROPOLITAN AREA.—The term ‘non-
metropolitan area’ means a geographic area outside 
designated metropolitan planning areas. 
‘‘(4) NONMETROPOLITAN LOCAL OFFICIAL.—The 
term ‘nonmetropolitan local official’ means elected 
and appointed officials of general purpose local gov-
ernment in a nonmetropolitan area with responsi-
bility for transportation.