I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2007 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a grant program 
to assist the development of aerotropolis transportation systems, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 23, 2015 
Mr. COHEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a 
grant program to assist the development of aerotropolis 
transportation systems, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Leading and Expe-
diting Aerotropolis Development Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. AEROTROPOLIS GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Trans-
portation shall establish and carry out an aerotropolis 
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grant program (in this section referred to as the ‘‘pro-
gram’’) to assist the development of aerotropolis transpor-
tation systems in accordance with this section. 
(b) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying out the pro-
gram, the Secretary is authorized to make a grant to an 
eligible entity to assist planning, design, environmental re-
view, or land acquisition activities for any of the following 
to benefit an aerotropolis transportation system: 
(1) A project for the development or improve-
ment of a highway or bridge. 
(2) A project for the development or improve-
ment of a public transportation system. 
(3) A project to expand the capacity of or oth-
erwise improve freight or passenger rail transpor-
tation. 
(4) A project for the development or improve-
ment of a port. 
(5) A project that improves access to a port or 
terminal facility. 
(6) A project for the development or improve-
ment of a multimodal terminal facility. 
(7) A project for the development or improve-
ment of an intelligent transportation system that— 
(A) is primarily for the benefit of freight 
movement; and 
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(B) reduces congestion or improves safety. 
(c) AVAILABILITY
OF
GRANT
FUNDING.—Grant 
funding awarded to a grant recipient under the program 
shall remain available to be obligated by the recipient dur-
ing the fiscal year in which the grant funding is disbursed 
and the three fiscal years following that fiscal year. Grant 
funding not obligated by a grant recipient during the pe-
riod provided under this subsection shall be returned to 
the Secretary and made available for making other grants 
under the program. 
(d) APPLICATION PROCESS.—In carrying out the 
program, the Secretary shall establish a process for eligi-
ble entities to apply for grants, which shall include the 
submission to the Secretary of an application containing 
the following: 
(1) A description of the aerotropolis transpor-
tation system to be assisted with the grant, includ-
ing— 
(A) the geographic scope of the system; 
and 
(B) the components that comprise the sys-
tem. 
(2) A description of the projects to be assisted 
with the grant. 
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(3) With respect to each of the projects de-
scribed under paragraph (2), a description of— 
(A) the status of the project; 
(B) how the project will develop the appli-
cable aerotropolis transportation system; 
(C) the jobs to be created by the project; 
(D) the costs and benefits of the project; 
and 
(E) the plans and timeline for moving the 
project to completion. 
(e) GRANT SELECTION.— 
(1) 
CONSIDERATIONS.—In 
making 
grants 
under the program, the Secretary shall consider, 
with respect to a proposed project, whether the 
project facilitates any of the following: 
(A) Improvement of the mobility of goods 
or passengers. 
(B) 
Enhancement 
of 
intermodal 
connectivity with respect to freight or passenger 
transportation. 
(C) Improvement of the condition of 
freight or passenger transportation infrastruc-
ture, including bringing such infrastructure into 
a state of good repair. 
(D) Reductions in congestion. 
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(E) Improvement of safety, including 
through reductions in transportation accidents, 
injuries, and fatalities. 
(F) Incorporation of new and innovative 
technologies into the transportation system, in-
cluding intelligent transportation systems. 
(G) Enhancement of national or regional 
economic development, growth, and competitive-
ness. 
(H) Non-Federal contributions to the 
project, including contributions from public-pri-
vate partnerships. 
(I) Reductions in dependence on foreign 
oil. 
(J) Reductions in air or water pollution. 
(2) PRIORITIES.—In making grants under the 
program, the Secretary shall give priority to appli-
cants that demonstrate any of the following: 
(A) A strategic plan for the development of 
an aerotropolis transportation system and fund-
ing directed to that development. 
(B) Existing infrastructure and services 
sufficient for the development of an aerotropolis 
transportation system. 
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(C) A capacity for using grant funds to ef-
ficiently and effectively develop an aerotropolis 
transportation system. 
(D) Public-private partnerships that will 
assist in completing proposed projects. 
(E) An inability to complete pre-construc-
tion activities for proposed projects without 
grant assistance. 
(f) REPORTS.—In each year in which a grant recipi-
ent receives funding under the program, that recipient 
shall submit to the Secretary a report that includes a de-
scription of the following: 
(1) The activities carried out by that recipient 
with grant funds in the preceding year. 
(2) The impact of those activities, including in 
comparison to the objectives for those activities. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
nitions apply: 
(1) 
AEROTROPOLIS
TRANSPORTATION
SYS-
TEM.—The term ‘‘aerotropolis transportation sys-
tem’’ means a planned and coordinated multimodal 
freight and passenger transportation network that, 
as determined by the Secretary, provides efficient, 
cost-effective, 
sustainable, 
and 
intermodal 
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connectivity to a defined region of economic signifi-
cance centered around a major airport. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means any of the following: 
(A) A State government or political sub-
division thereof. 
(B) A local government or political subdivi-
sion thereof. 
(C) A metropolitan planning organization. 
(D) A regional planning organization. 
(E) An organization comprised of more 
than one entity specified in subparagraphs (A) 
through (D). 
Æ 
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