I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4338 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Transpor-
tation to ensure that States set aside certain funds for construction 
and operational improvements on high risk rural roads, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 
Ms. FINKENAUER (for herself and Mr. WESTERMAN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure 
A BILL 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to require the Sec-
retary of Transportation to ensure that States set aside 
certain funds for construction and operational improve-
ments on high risk rural roads, 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 ‘‘Rural Road Safety 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 148 of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (g)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘If the fatality rate’’ and 
inserting ‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL—If the fatality 
rate’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘for fiscal year 2009’’ and 
all that follows through the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘for the previous fiscal year for 
high risk rural roads under subsection (l).’’; 
and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) TREATMENT
OF
PROJECTS.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of law, 
projects carried out under this paragraph shall 
be treated as projects on a Federal-aid highway 
under this chapter.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(l) HIGH RISK RURAL ROADS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Of the amounts appor-
tioned to a State for fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal 
year thereafter under this section, the State shall 
obligate for construction and operational improve-
ments on high risk rural roads an amount that is 
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not less than 7.5 percent of such amount appor-
tioned for such fiscal year. 
‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE.—A State may use funds 
apportioned to the State pursuant to this subsection 
for any project under this section if the State cer-
tifies to the Secretary that the State has met all of 
State needs for construction and operational im-
provements on high risk rural roads. 
‘‘(3) TREATMENT
OF
CONSTRUCTION
AND 
OPERATIONAL
IMPROVEMENTS.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, construction and oper-
ational improvements under this subsection shall be 
treated as a project on a Federal-aid highway under 
this chapter.’’. 
(b) UPDATE OF HIGH RISK RURAL ROADS BEST 
PRACTICES.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation 
shall submit to Congress an update to the manual de-
scribed in section 1112 of MAP–21 (23 U.S.C. 148 note) 
to include any best practices not listed in such manual 
for communities to reduce fatalities on rural roads. 
(c) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall submit to Congress an update 
to the report published by the Government Accountability 
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Office on May 28, 2004, titled ‘‘Highway Safety: Federal 
and State Efforts to Address Rural Road Safety Chal-
lenges’’ describing— 
(1) ongoing funding and policy challenges to 
addressing rural road safety; and 
(2) successful risk mitigation measures taken 
on the Federal and State levels. 
Æ 
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