I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8934 
To increase authorizations for the passenger ferry competitive grant program 
and the ferry boats and terminal facilities formula grant program, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 
Mr. GARAMENDI (for himself, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, 
Mr. SIRES, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. SABLAN, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. 
HUFFMAN, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. SWALWELL, Mr. KILMER, Ms. DELBENE, 
and Ms. BROWNLEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To increase authorizations for the passenger ferry competi-
tive grant program and the ferry boats and terminal 
facilities formula grant 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 ‘‘Ferry Service Expan-
sion Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:52 Oct 03, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8934.IH
H8934
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. CONSTRUCTION OF FERRY BOATS AND FERRY TER-
MINAL FACILITIES. 
Section 147(h) of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) 
in 
paragraph 
(2), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$112,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$160,000,000’’; 
(2) 
in 
paragraph 
(3), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$114,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$160,000,000’’; 
(3) 
in 
paragraph 
(4), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$116,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$160,000,000’’; and 
(4) 
in 
paragraph 
(5), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$118,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$160,000,000’’. 
SEC. 3. APPORTIONMENTS. 
Section 5336(h)(1) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ‘‘$30,000,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$90,000,000’’. 
SEC. 4. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 133(b)(1)(B)(i) of title 
23, United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘, except 
that for the purposes of this section, hovercraft and ter-
minal facilities for hovercraft engaging in water transit for 
passengers or vehicles shall be considered to be ferry boats 
and ferry terminal facilities under section 129(c)’’ after 
‘‘section 129(c)’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:52 Oct 03, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8934.IH
H8934
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Any hovercraft fund-
ed using funds made available under section 133(b)(1) of 
title 23, United States Code, shall be deemed to be a vessel 
subject to chapters 121 and 551 of title 46, United States 
Code. 
SEC. 5. TOLL ROADS, BRIDGES, TUNNELS, AND FERRIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 129(c)(5) of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the first sentence, by inserting ‘‘(includ-
ing between territories of the United States)’’ after 
‘‘adjoining States’’; and 
(2) in the second sentence, by inserting ‘‘oper-
ations between territories of the United States,’’ 
after ‘‘United States,’’. 
(b) SUNSET.—Section 11117(b) of the Infrastructure 
Investment and Jobs Act (23 U.S.C. 147 note; Public Law 
117–58) is amended— 
(1) by striking the subsection designation and 
heading and all that follows through ‘‘section 
147(b)’’ in paragraph (1) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) DIESEL
FUEL
FERRY
VESSELS.—Notwith-
standing section 147(b) of title 23, United States Code’’; 
and 
(2) by striking paragraph (2). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:52 Oct 03, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8934.IH
H8934
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 6. FERRY SERVICE FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES. 
Section 71103 of the Infrastructure Investment and 
Jobs Act (23 U.S.C. 147 note; Public Law 117–58) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘lo-
cated more than 50 sailing miles apart’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraph (3) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(3) RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ 
means an area that— 
‘‘(A) has not been designated by the Sec-
retary of Commerce in the most recent decen-
nial census as an urbanized area; or 
‘‘(B) has been designated by the Secretary 
of Commerce in the most recent decennial cen-
sus as an urbanized area, but has populations 
described in subparagraphs (H) and (I) of sec-
tion 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) 
that if excluded would result in the area encom-
passing a population of less than 50,000.’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as 
subsections (g) and (h), respectively; and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (e) the fol-
lowing: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:52 Oct 03, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8934.IH
H8934
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(f) GRANT
REQUIREMENTS.—The requirements 
under sections 5323(j) and 5333 of title 49, United States 
Code, shall apply to grants under this section.’’. 
SEC. 7. ELECTRIC OR LOW-EMITTING FERRY PILOT PRO-
GRAM. 
Section 71102 of the Infrastructure Investment and 
Jobs Act (23 U.S.C. 147 note; Public Law 117–58) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) GRANT
REQUIREMENTS.—The requirements 
under sections 5323(j) and 5333 of title 49, United States 
Code, shall apply to grants under this section.’’. 
SEC. 8. TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS. 
The matter under the heading ‘‘TRANSIT
INFRA-
STRUCTURE
GRANTS’’ under the heading ‘‘FEDERAL 
TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION’’ under the heading ‘‘DE-
PARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION’’ in title VIII of 
division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 
(Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 1437) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘$10,250,000,000’’ and in-
serting ‘‘$11,500,000,000’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:52 Oct 03, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8934.IH
H8934
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(B) by striking ‘‘$2,050,000,000’’ each 
place 
it 
appears 
and 
inserting 
‘‘$2,300,000,000’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(3) in paragraph (3) by striking the colon at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) $1,250,000,000 shall be to carry out pas-
senger ferry grants under section 5307(h) of title 
49, United States Code:’’. 
SEC. 9. QUALIFIED VESSEL. 
(a) ELIGIBLE VESSEL.—Section 53501(2) of title 46, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (B)(v), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) a ferry, as such term is defined in 
section 2101; and 
‘‘(D) a passenger vessel or small passenger 
vessel, as such terms are defined in section 
2101.’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:52 Oct 03, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8934.IH
H8934
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(b) QUALIFIED VESSEL.—Section 53501(5) of title 
46, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (B)(v), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) a ferry, as such term is defined in 
section 2101; and 
‘‘(D) a passenger vessel or small passenger 
vessel, as such terms are defined in section 
2101.’’. 
SEC. 10. ESTABLISHING A CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION FUND. 
Section 53503(b) of title 46, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting ‘‘(including transportation on a 
ferry, passenger vessel, or small passenger vessel, as such 
terms are defined in section 2101)’’ after ‘‘short sea trans-
portation’’. 
SEC. 11. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 
Section 133 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (7)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘section 206’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 206,’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:52 Oct 03, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8934.IH
H8934
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(ii) by striking ‘‘trails,,’’ and inserting 
‘‘trails,’’; and 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (24) as 
paragraph (4) and moving the paragraph so as 
to appear after paragraph (3); and 
(2) in subsection (k)(1)(B)(i), by striking 
‘‘14501’’ and inserting ‘‘section 14501’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:52 Oct 03, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H8934.IH
H8934
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS