ment around station areas, through the estab-
lishment of special assessment districts, increas-
ing the tax base, promoting job growth, pro-
moting cost effectiveness, facilitating intermodal 
connectivity, combining congestion relief with 
station development, stimulating economic de-
velopment, or any other appropriate means; 
(B) are likely to make long-term contribu-
tions to rail corridor development funds or simi-
lar mechanisms that help finance intercity and 
urban passenger rail infrastructure or operating 
expenses; and 
(C) provide for a quantifiable revenue 
stream to the relevant station or rail operation. 
(3) APPLICANT
COORDINATING
AUTHORITY.— 
An applicant for Federal incentives pursuant to this 
section and the amendments made by this section 
shall be a State, local, or regional authority. Such 
authority shall provide for coordination among 
stakeholders, local governments, and private devel-
opers in the defined region, and shall be the lead 
party in the application. 
(4) PROJECTS
AUTHORIZED.—Except as pro-
vided in subsection (b), projects are not authorized 
to receive Federal incentives pursuant to this section 
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and the amendments made by this section until the 
date that is 1 year after the report required under 
subsection (c) is transmitted to Congress. 
(b) PILOT PROJECTS.—The Secretary may designate 
up to 4 pilot projects as qualified for Federal incentives 
pursuant to this section and the amendments made by this 
section before the date specified in subsection (a)(4). 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, 
after consultation with each State, local, or regional au-
thority coordinating a pilot project under subsection (b), 
shall transmit to Congress a report assessing the success 
or failure of each such pilot project and making any appro-
priate recommendations for modifications to the initiative 
under this Act. 
(d) RAILROAD REHABILITATION IMPROVEMENT FI-
NANCING.—Section 502 of the Railroad Revitalization and 
Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (45 U.S.C. 822) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (5); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
paragraph (6) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
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(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(7) persons conducting a qualified project (as 
defined by the Secretary under section 3 of the Na-
tional High Performance Passenger Rail Transpor-
tation-Oriented Development Act of 2013).’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (B); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
subparagraph (C) and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) conduct a qualified project (as de-
fined by the Secretary under section 3 of the 
National High Performance Passenger Rail 
Transportation-Oriented Development Act of 
2013).’’. 
(e) TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE.— 
Section 601(a)(12) of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara-
graph (C); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of sub-
paragraph (D) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
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(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(E) a qualified project (as defined by the 
Secretary under section 3 of the National High 
Performance Passenger Rail Transportation- 
Oriented Development Act of 2013).’’. 
(f) APPLICATION PRIORITY.—In general, Federal ap-
plications to the Federal Railroad Administration and 
Federal Transit Administration for railroad projects that 
participate in the transportation-oriented development ini-
tiative under this Act shall receive a priority for funding 
in the application decision process. 
(g) REVENUE NEUTRAL PROGRAM COST.—The Sec-
retary shall establish and apply to recipients of Federal 
incentives pursuant to this section and the amendments 
made by this section a fee in an amount sufficient to cover 
the administrative costs of carrying out this Act, including 
section 2(b). 
SEC. 4. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 
(a) NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Sec-
retary shall provide technical assistance to applicants and 
potential applicants for Federal incentives pursuant to 
this Act and the amendments made by this Act with re-
spect to— 
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(1) identification of transportation-oriented de-
velopment opportunities; 
(2) establishment of special assessment districts 
in regions; 
(3) establishment of rail corridor development 
funds; and 
(4) expediting Federal, State, and local regu-
latory approvals. 
(b) STATES, LOCALITIES, AND REGIONS OUTSIDE 
THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.—The Secretary shall pro-
vide technical assistance to the States, localities, and re-
gions outside the Northeast Corridor as identified by the 
Secretary, including— 
(1) technical assistance on the establishment of 
regional authorities appropriate to carrying out the 
purposes of this Act at the regional level; and 
(2) technical assistance at the request of a 
State, local, or regional entity to identify stations 
and potential stations within a region and conduct 
a preliminary survey of property available and po-
tentially available, to maximize development and 
commercial revenue generation to financially support 
the development of a high performance intercity or 
urban rail passenger corridor. 
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(c) NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.—The Secretary shall 
provide technical assistance to the States and local or re-
gional entities along the Northeast Corridor, including— 
(1) technical assistance on the establishment, 
by the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Oper-
ations Advisory Commission established under sec-
tion 24905 of title 49, United States Code, of a 
Northeast Corridor Transportation-Oriented Devel-
opment Working Group, which shall— 
(A) include outside members with expertise 
in transportation-oriented development; 
(B) be supported by the independent pri-
vate sector entity retained by the Secretary 
under section 2(b); 
(C) be chaired by a designee appointed by 
the Secretary who is an expert with private sec-
tor transportation oriented development experi-
ence; and 
(D) advise the Secretary and the North-
east Corridor Infrastructure and Operations 
Advisory Commission on the ways and means 
for carrying out the purposes of this Act at the 
regional level; and 
(2) not more than 1 year after the date of en-
actment of this Act, technical assistance to identify 
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Northeast Corridor stations and potential stations 
and conduct a preliminary survey of property avail-
able and potentially available, to maximize develop-
ment and commercial revenue generation to finan-
cially support the creation of a true high-speed rail 
corridor in the Northeast Corridor. 
Æ 
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