I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5231 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve the transportation 
alternatives program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 21, 2019 
Mr. ESPAILLAT (for himself and Mr. LARSEN of Washington) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve the 
transportation alternatives program, 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 ‘‘Transportation Alter-
natives Enhancements Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM. 
(a) SET-ASIDE.—Section 133(h)(1) of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘RESERVATION 
OF FUNDS’’ and inserting ‘‘IN GENERAL’’; and 
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(2) by striking ‘‘for each fiscal year,’’ and all 
that follows through the end and inserting ‘‘for fis-
cal year 2021 and each fiscal year thereafter, the 
Secretary shall set aside an amount equal to 10 per-
cent to carry out this subsection.’’. 
(b) ALLOCATION.—Section 133(h) of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by striking paragraph (2) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) ALLOCATION WITHIN A STATE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), funds set aside for a State 
under paragraph (1) shall be obligated within 
that State in the manner described in sub-
section (d), except that, for purposes of this 
paragraph (after funds are made available 
under paragraph (5))— 
‘‘(i) for fiscal year 2021 and each fis-
cal year thereafter, the percentage referred 
to in paragraph (1)(A) of that subsection 
shall be deemed to be 66 percent; and 
‘‘(ii) paragraph (3) of subsection (d) 
shall not apply. 
‘‘(B) LOCAL CONTROL.—A State may allo-
cate up to 100 percent of the funds referred to 
in subparagraph (A)(i) if— 
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‘‘(i) the State submits to the Sec-
retary a plan that describes— 
‘‘(I) how funds will be allocated 
to counties, metropolitan planning or-
ganizations, regional transportation 
planning organizations as described in 
section 135(m), or local governments; 
‘‘(II) how the entities described 
in subclause (I) will carry out a com-
petitive process to select projects for 
funding and report selected projects 
to the State; 
‘‘(III) how input was gathered 
from the entities described in sub-
clause (I) to ensure those entities are 
able and willing to comply with the re-
quirements of this subsection; and 
‘‘(IV) how the State will comply 
with paragraph (8); and 
‘‘(ii) the Secretary approves the plan 
submitted under clause (i).’’. 
(c) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—Section 133(h)(3) of title 
23, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘reserved’’ 
and inserting ‘‘set aside’’. 
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(d) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Section 133(h)(4)(B) of 
title 23, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating clauses (vii) and (viii) as 
clauses (viii) and (ix), respectively; 
(2) by inserting after clause (vi) the following: 
‘‘(vii) a metropolitan planning organi-
zation that serves an urbanized area with 
a population of 200,000 or fewer;’’; 
(3) in clause (viii) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ‘‘responsible’’ and all that follows through 
‘‘programs’’; and 
(4) in clause (ix) (as so redesignated), by in-
serting ‘‘that serves an urbanized area with a popu-
lation of over 200,000’’ after ‘‘metropolitan planning 
organization’’. 
(e) CONTINUATION
OF
CERTAIN
RECREATIONAL 
TRAILS PROJECTS.—Section 133(h)(5)(A) of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘reserved 
under this section’’ and inserting ‘‘set aside under this 
subsection’’. 
(f) STATE FLEXIBILITY.—Section 133(h)(6) of title 
23, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘reserved’’ 
and inserting ‘‘set aside’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(C) IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY AND EFFI-
CIENCY.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A State may use 
an amount equal to not more than 5 per-
cent of the funds set aside for the State 
under this subsection, after allocating 
funds 
in 
accordance 
with 
paragraph 
(2)(A), to improve the ability of applicants 
to access funding for projects under this 
subsection in an efficient and expeditious 
manner by— 
‘‘(I) providing to applicants for 
projects under this subsection applica-
tion assistance, technical assistance, 
and assistance in reducing the period 
of time between the selection of the 
project and the obligation of funds for 
the project; and 
‘‘(II) by providing funding for 1 
or more full-time State employee posi-
tions to administer this subsection. 
‘‘(ii) USE OF FUNDS.—Amounts used 
under clause (i) may be expended— 
‘‘(I) directly by the State; or 
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