I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3344 
To enhance the capabilities of metropolitan planning organizations, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 29, 2015 
Ms. FRANKEL of Florida (for herself, Mr. CLEAVER, and Mr. CICILLINE) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To enhance the capabilities of metropolitan planning 
organizations, 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 ‘‘Metropolitan Planning 
Enhancement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CONSOLIDATED AND HIGH PERFORMING METRO-
POLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS. 
(a) CONSOLIDATION OF METROPOLITAN PLANNING 
ORGANIZATIONS.— 
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(1) 
SECTION
134
AMENDMENT.—Section 
134(d)(6) of title 23, United States Code, is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(6) CONSOLIDATION OF METROPOLITAN PLAN-
NING ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN URBANIZED AREAS.— 
‘‘(A) LIMITATION ON NEW METROPOLITAN 
PLANNING
ORGANIZATION
DESIGNATIONS.—A 
metropolitan planning organization shall not be 
newly designated— 
‘‘(i) within a metropolitan statistical 
area if another metropolitan planning or-
ganization already exists within the bound-
aries of the metropolitan statistical area; 
or 
‘‘(ii) outside of a metropolitan statis-
tical area. 
‘‘(B) MULTIPLE EXISTING METROPOLITAN 
PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS.—If multiple exist-
ing metropolitan planning organizations are 
designated within a metropolitan statistical 
area— 
‘‘(i) the metropolitan planning organi-
zations may— 
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‘‘(I) retain their designation as 
distinct metropolitan planning organi-
zations; or 
‘‘(II) be consolidated by agree-
ment between the metropolitan plan-
ning organizations; 
‘‘(ii) the Governor (or Governors) and 
the existing metropolitan planning organi-
zations shall— 
‘‘(I) revisit a determination to re-
main unconsolidated every 10 years, 
beginning two years after the next de-
cennial census; and 
‘‘(II) provide justification to the 
Secretary of the continued necessity of 
the designation of multiple metropoli-
tan planning organizations in the 
area; and 
‘‘(iii) where multiple metropolitan 
planning organizations exist within a single 
metropolitan statistical area, they shall co-
operate with one another to— 
‘‘(I) develop a single transpor-
tation improvement plan and a single 
long-range plan for use by all metro-
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politan planning organizations within 
the metropolitan statistical area when 
developing their individual plans; and 
‘‘(II) establish a single set of per-
formance targets that address the per-
formance measures described in sec-
tion 150(c) for use in developing indi-
vidual performance targets in accord-
ance with subsection (h)(2).’’. 
(2) 
SECTION
5303
AMENDMENT.—Section 
5303(d)(6) of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(6) CONSOLIDATION OF METROPOLITAN PLAN-
NING ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN URBANIZED AREAS.— 
‘‘(A) LIMITATION ON NEW METROPOLITAN 
PLANNING
ORGANIZATION
DESIGNATIONS.—A 
metropolitan planning organization shall not be 
newly designated— 
‘‘(i) within a metropolitan statistical 
area if another metropolitan planning or-
ganization already exists within the bound-
aries of the metropolitan statistical area; 
or 
‘‘(ii) outside of a metropolitan statis-
tical area. 
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‘‘(B) MULTIPLE EXISTING METROPOLITAN 
PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS.—If multiple exist-
ing metropolitan planning organizations are 
designated within a metropolitan statistical 
area— 
‘‘(i) the metropolitan planning organi-
zations may— 
‘‘(I) retain their designation as 
distinct metropolitan planning organi-
zations; or 
‘‘(II) be consolidated by agree-
ment between the metropolitan plan-
ning organizations; 
‘‘(ii) the Governor (or Governors) and 
the existing metropolitan planning organi-
zations shall— 
‘‘(I) revisit a determination to re-
main unconsolidated every 10 years, 
beginning two years after the next de-
cennial census; and 
‘‘(II) provide justification to the 
Secretary of the continued necessity of 
the designation of multiple metropoli-
tan planning organizations in the 
area; and 
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‘‘(iii) where multiple metropolitan 
planning organizations exist within a single 
metropolitan statistical area, they shall co-
operate with one another to— 
‘‘(I) develop a single transpor-
tation improvement plan and a single 
long-range plan for use by all metro-
politan planning organizations within 
the metropolitan statistical area when 
developing their individual plans; and 
‘‘(II) establish a single set of per-
formance targets that address the per-
formance measures described in sec-
tion 150(c) of title 23, United States 
Code, for use in developing individual 
performance targets in accordance 
with subsection (h)(2) and sections 
5326(c) and 5329(d) of this title.’’. 
(3) DEFINITIONS.— 
(A) 
HIGHWAY
DEFINITION.—Section 
134(b) of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by— 
(i) 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(1) 
through (7) as paragraphs (2) through (8); 
and 
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‘‘(D) if the metropolitan planning organi-
zation is not a consolidated metropolitan plan-
ning organization, the extent to which the met-
ropolitan planning organization is coordinating 
with all other metropolitan planning organiza-
tions designated for the same metropolitan sta-
tistical area; 
‘‘(E) the technical capacity of the metro-
politan planning organization; and 
‘‘(F) other criteria established by the Sec-
retary in guidance. 
‘‘(3) REVIEW.—A designation under paragraph 
(1) shall stay in effect for 10 years from the date 
of designation.’’. 
(2) SECTION 5303 AMENDMENT.—Section 5303 
of title 49, United States Code, as amended by this 
Act, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(r) HIGH-PERFORMING METROPOLITAN PLANNING 
ORGANIZATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—A metropolitan planning 
organization that represents an urbanized area with 
a population of over 200,000 individuals may re-
quest a high-performing metropolitan planning orga-
nization designation from the Secretary. 
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‘‘(2) CRITERIA.—In making a high-performing 
metropolitan planning organization designation, the 
Secretary shall consider— 
‘‘(A) the extent to which the metropolitan 
planning organization has an equitable and re-
gional approach to decisionmaking; 
‘‘(B) the extent to which the metropolitan 
planning organization has incorporated its per-
formance targets established pursuant to sec-
tion 150 of title 23, United States Code, sub-
section (h)(2), and sections 5326(c) and 
5329(d) of this title into its planning process; 
‘‘(C) whether the metropolitan planning or-
ganization is a consolidated metropolitan plan-
ning organization; 
‘‘(D) if the metropolitan planning organi-
zation is not a consolidated metropolitan plan-
ning organization, the extent to which the met-
ropolitan planning organization is coordinating 
with all other metropolitan planning organiza-
tions designated for the same metropolitan sta-
tistical area; 
‘‘(E) the technical capacity of the metro-
politan planning organization; and 
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‘‘(F) other criteria established by the Sec-
retary in guidance. 
‘‘(3) REVIEW.—A designation under paragraph 
(1) shall stay in effect for 10 years from the date 
of designation.’’. 
(c) 
SURFACE
TRANSPORTATION
INCENTIVE 
FUNDS.—Section 133(d)(1) of title 23, United States 
Code is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) CALCULATION.—The funds apportioned to 
a State under section 104(b)(2) shall be obligated as 
follows: 
‘‘(A) SUBALLOCATED FUNDS.—50 percent 
of the funds for a fiscal year shall be obligated 
under this section, in proportion to their rel-
ative shares of the population of the State— 
‘‘(i) in urbanized areas of the State 
with an urbanized area population over 
200,000; 
‘‘(ii) in urban areas of the State with 
a population of 5,000 to 200,000; and 
‘‘(iii) in areas of the State with a pop-
ulation of fewer than 5,000. 
‘‘(B) STATEWIDE FUNDS.—25 percent of 
the funds for a fiscal year may be obligated in 
any area of the State. 
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