H. R. 6—226
(A) buses used for public transportation or transpor-
tation to and from schools; 
(B) delivery vehicles for goods or services; and 
(C) ground support vehicles at public airports 
(including vehicles to carry baggage or push or pull air-
planes toward or away from terminal gates). 
(3) The acquisition of ultra-low sulfur diesel vehicles. 
(4) Installation or acquisition of infrastructure necessary 
to directly support an alternative fueled vehicle, fuel cell 
vehicle, or hybrid vehicle project funded by the grant, including 
fueling and other support equipment. 
(5) Operation and maintenance of vehicles, infrastructure, 
and equipment acquired as part of a project funded by the 
grant. 
(c) APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall issue require-
ments for applying for grants under the pilot program. 
(B) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.—At a minimum, the Sec-
retary shall require that an application for a grant— 
(i) be submitted by the head of a State or local 
government or a metropolitan transportation authority, 
or any combination thereof, and a registered partici-
pant in the Clean Cities Program of the Department; 
and 
(ii) include— 
(I) a description of the project proposed in 
the application, including how the project meets 
the requirements of this part; 
(II) an estimate of the ridership or degree 
of use of the project; 
(III) an estimate of the air pollution emissions 
reduced and fossil fuel displaced as a result of 
the project, and a plan to collect and disseminate 
environmental data, related to the project to be 
funded under the grant, over the life of the project; 
(IV) a description of how the project will be 
sustainable without Federal assistance after the 
completion of the term of the grant; 
(V) a complete description of the costs of the 
project, including acquisition, construction, oper-
ation, and maintenance costs over the expected 
life of the project; 
(VI) a description of which costs of the project 
will be supported by Federal assistance under this 
part; and 
(VII) documentation to the satisfaction of the 
Secretary that diesel fuel containing sulfur at not 
more than 15 parts per million is available for 
carrying out the project, and a commitment by 
the applicant to use such fuel in carrying out the 
project. 
(2) PARTNERS.—An applicant under paragraph (1) may 
carry out a project under the pilot program in partnership 
with public and private entities. 
(d) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In evaluating applications under the 
pilot program, the Secretary shall—
H. R. 6—227
(1) consider each applicant’s previous experience with 
similar projects; and 
(2) give priority consideration to applications that— 
(A) are most likely to maximize protection of the 
environment; 
(B) demonstrate the greatest commitment on the part 
of the applicant to ensure funding for the proposed project 
and the greatest likelihood that the project will be main-
tained or expanded after Federal assistance under this 
part is completed; and 
(C) exceed the minimum requirements of subsection 
(c)(1)(B)(ii). 
(e) PILOT PROJECT REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall not provide 
more than $15,000,000 in Federal assistance under the pilot 
program to any applicant. 
(2) COST SHARING.—The Secretary shall not provide more 
than 50 percent of the cost, incurred during the period of 
the grant, of any project under the pilot program. 
(3) MAXIMUM PERIOD OF GRANTS.—The Secretary shall not 
fund any applicant under the pilot program for more than 
5 years. 
(4) DEPLOYMENT AND DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary shall 
seek to the maximum extent practicable to ensure a broad 
geographic distribution of project sites. 
(5) TRANSFER OF INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE.—The Sec-
retary shall establish mechanisms to ensure that the informa-
tion and knowledge gained by participants in the pilot program 
are transferred among the pilot program participants and to 
other interested parties, including other applicants that sub-
mitted applications. 
(f) SCHEDULE.— 
(1) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish in the 
Federal Register, Commerce Business Daily, and elsewhere 
as appropriate, a request for applications to undertake projects 
under the pilot program. Applications shall be due not later 
than 180 days after the date of publication of the notice. 
(2) SELECTION.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
by which applications for grants are due, the Secretary shall 
select by competitive, peer reviewed proposal, all applications 
for projects to be awarded a grant under the pilot program. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of carrying out the pilot pro-
gram, the Secretary shall issue regulations defining any term, as 
the Secretary determines to be necessary. 
SEC. 722. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
(a) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date 
on which grants are awarded under this part, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report containing— 
(1) an identification of the grant recipients and a descrip-
tion of the projects to be funded; 
(2) an identification of other applicants that submitted 
applications for the pilot program; and 
(3) a description of the mechanisms used by the Secretary 
to ensure that the information and knowledge gained by partici-
pants in the pilot program are transferred among the pilot
H. R. 6—228
program participants and to other interested parties, including 
other applicants that submitted applications. 
(b) EVALUATION.—Not later than 3 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until the pilot pro-
gram ends, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report con-
taining an evaluation of the effectiveness of the pilot program, 
including— 
(1) an assessment of the benefits to the environment 
derived from the projects included in the pilot program; and 
(2) an estimate of the potential benefits to the environment 
to be derived from widespread application of alternative fueled 
vehicles and ultra-low sulfur diesel vehicles. 
SEC. 723. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to 
carry out this part $200,000,000, to remain available until 
expended. 
PART 3—FUEL CELL BUSES 
SEC. 731. FUEL CELL TRANSIT BUS DEMONSTRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of Transportation, shall establish a transit bus demonstration 
program to make competitive, merit-based awards for 5-year 
projects to demonstrate not more than 25 fuel cell transit buses 
(and necessary infrastructure) in 5 geographically dispersed local-
ities. 
(b) PREFERENCE.—In selecting projects under this section, the 
Secretary shall give preference to projects that are most likely 
to mitigate congestion and improve air quality. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010. 
Subtitle C—Clean School Buses 
SEC. 741. CLEAN SCHOOL BUS PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. 
(2) ALTERNATIVE
FUEL.—The term ‘‘alternative fuel’’ 
means— 
(A) liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas, 
liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, or propane; 
(B) methanol or ethanol at no less than 85 percent 
by volume; or 
(C) biodiesel conforming with standards published by 
the American Society for Testing and Materials as of the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
(3) CLEAN SCHOOL BUS.—The term ‘‘clean school bus’’ means 
a school bus with a gross vehicle weight of greater than 14,000 
pounds that— 
(A) is powered by a heavy duty engine; and 
(B) is operated solely on an alternative fuel or ultra-
low sulfur diesel fuel. 
(4) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—
H. R. 6—229
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
term ‘‘eligible recipient’’ means— 
(i) 1 or more local or State governmental entities 
responsible for— 
(I) providing school bus service to 1 or more 
public school systems; or 
(II) the purchase of school buses; 
(ii) 1 or more contracting entities that provide 
school bus service to 1 or more public school systems; 
or 
(iii) a nonprofit school transportation association. 
(B) SPECIAL
REQUIREMENTS.—In the case of eligible 
recipients identified under clauses (ii) and (iii), the 
Administrator shall establish timely and appropriate 
requirements for notice and may establish timely and 
appropriate requirements for approval by the public school 
systems that would be served by buses purchased or retrofit 
using grant funds made available under this section. 
(5) RETROFIT TECHNOLOGY.—The term ‘‘retrofit technology’’ 
means a particulate filter or other emissions control equipment 
that is verified or certified by the Administrator or the Cali-
fornia Air Resources Board as an effective emission reduction 
technology when installed on an existing school bus. 
(6) ULTRA-LOW SULFUR DIESEL FUEL.—The term ‘‘ultra-low 
sulfur diesel fuel’’ means diesel fuel that contains sulfur at 
not more than 15 parts per million. 
(b) PROGRAM
FOR RETROFIT
OR REPLACEMENT
OF CERTAIN 
EXISTING SCHOOL BUSES WITH CLEAN SCHOOL BUSES.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, in consultation 
with the Secretary and other appropriate Federal depart-
ments and agencies, shall establish a program for awarding 
grants on a competitive basis to eligible recipients for the 
replacement, 
or 
retrofit 
(including 
repowering, 
aftertreatment, and remanufactured engines) of, certain 
existing school buses. 
(B) BALANCING.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Administrator shall, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, achieve an appropriate balance between awarding 
grants— 
(i) to replace school buses; and 
(ii) to install retrofit technologies. 
(2) PRIORITY OF GRANT APPLICATIONS.— 
(A) REPLACEMENT.—In the case of grant applications 
to replace school buses, the Administrator shall give pri-
ority to applicants that propose to replace school buses 
manufactured before model year 1977. 
(B) RETROFITTING.—In the case of grant applications 
to retrofit school buses, the Administrator shall give pri-
ority to applicants that propose to retrofit school buses 
manufactured in or after model year 1991. 
(3) USE OF SCHOOL BUS FLEET.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—All school buses acquired or retro-
fitted with funds provided under this section shall be oper-
ated as part of the school bus fleet for which the grant 
was made for not less than 5 years.