I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 927 
To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in conjunc-
tion with the Secretary of Transportation, to carry out a Sustainable 
Communities Initiative, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 30, 2019 
Mrs. TORRES of California (for herself and Mr. BLUMENAUER) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, 
and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment, in conjunction with the Secretary of Transpor-
tation, to carry out a Sustainable Communities Initiative, 
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 ‘‘Sustainable Commu-
nities Act of 2019’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:33 Feb 12, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H927.IH
H927
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
SEC. 2. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Secretary’’) shall, in coordination with the Secretary of 
Transportation, carry out a Sustainable Communities Ini-
tiative to improve regional planning efforts that integrate 
housing and transportation decisions, and increase the ca-
pacity to improve land use and zoning. 
(b) REGIONAL INTEGRATED PLANNING GRANTS.— 
(1) AUTHORITY.—Under the Sustainable Com-
munities Initiative under this section the Secretary 
shall, to the extent amounts are made available for 
grants under this subsection pursuant to subsection 
(f), provide Regional Integrated Planning Grants to 
support improvements in and coordination of metro-
politan-wide housing, transportation, energy, and 
land use planning activities. 
(2) COMPETITION; GRANTEES.—Grants under 
this subsection shall be awarded on a competitive 
basis to regional, multijurisdictional organizations 
and consortia in metropolitan areas. The Secretary 
shall consult with the Secretary of Transportation in 
evaluating applications for such grants. 
(c) COMMUNITY CHALLENGE PLANNING GRANTS.— 
(1) AUTHORITY.—Under the Sustainable Com-
munities Initiative under this section the Secretary 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:33 Feb 12, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H927.IH
H927
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
shall, to the extent amounts are made available for 
grants under this subsection pursuant to subsection 
(f), provide Community Challenge Planning Grants 
to foster reform and reduce barriers, including 
through the reform of existing building codes and 
zoning ordinances, to achieve affordable, economi-
cally vital, and sustainable communities and discour-
age inefficient land use patterns. 
(2) COMPETITION; GRANTEES.—Grants under 
this subsection shall be awarded on a competitive 
basis to units of general local government. The Sec-
retary shall consult with the Secretary of Transpor-
tation in evaluating applications for such grants. 
(d) PLAN.—The Secretary may not award any grant 
under subsection (b) or (c) before the Secretary, in coordi-
nation with the Secretary of Transportation, submits to 
the Congress a plan establishing grant criteria and per-
formance measures by which to measure the success of 
grantees in achieving the goals of the grants, which plan 
shall be based on the requirements under the Department 
of Housing and Urban Development Notice of Funding 
Availability (NOFA) for Fiscal Year 2010 Sustainable 
Communities Regional Planning Grant Program [Docket 
No. FR–5396–03]. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:33 Feb 12, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H927.IH
H927
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(e) RESEARCH
AND EVALUATION.—The Secretary 
and the Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a joint 
research effort to evaluate the grant programs under sub-
sections (b) and (c) to quantify the benefits and costs of 
such programs. Amounts made available for activities 
under this subsection may be used to improve the technical 
capacities of regional organizations, local jurisdictions, 
community-based organizations, developers, and private 
sector lenders to carry out eligible activities under the 
grant programs under subsections (b) and (c). 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 and 2021, of 
which for each such fiscal year— 
(1) $100,000,000 shall be for Regional Inte-
grated Planning Grants under subsection (b) and of 
which not less than $25,000,000 for each such fiscal 
year shall be only for such grants for metropolitan 
areas having populations of fewer than 500,000 per-
sons; 
(2) $40,000,000 shall be for Community Chal-
lenge Planning Grants under subsection (c); and 
(3) up to $10,000,000 shall be for carrying out 
activities under subsection (e). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:33 Feb 12, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H927.IH
H927
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS