people or goods, environmental protection 
or enhancement, congestion mitigation, en-
hanced trade and economic development, 
improved air quality or land use, more effi-
cient energy use, enhanced public safety or 
security, reduction of public expenditures 
due to improved transportation efficiency 
or infrastructure preservation, and any 
other positive community effects as defined 
by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(ii) shall be determined on a project- 
by-project basis, based upon an agreement 
between the parties. 
‘‘(B) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary may 
seek the advice of the States and rail carriers 
in further defining this term. 
‘‘(3) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means any of 
the 50 States and the District of Columbia. 
‘‘(4) STATE
RAIL
TRANSPORTATION
AUTHOR-
ITY.—The term ‘State rail transportation authority’ 
means the State agency or official responsible under 
the direction of the Governor of the State or a State 
law for preparation, maintenance, coordination, and 
administration of the State rail plan.’’. 
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‘‘§ 22502. Authority 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each State may prepare and 
maintain a State rail plan in accordance with the provi-
sions of this subchapter. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.—For the preparation and peri-
odic revision of a State rail plan, a State shall— 
‘‘(1) establish or designate a State rail trans-
portation authority to prepare, maintain, coordinate, 
and administer the plan; 
‘‘(2) establish or designate a State rail plan ap-
proval authority to approve the plan; 
‘‘(3) submit the State’s approved plan to the 
Secretary of Transportation for review; and 
‘‘(4) revise and resubmit a State-approved plan 
no less frequently than once every 5 years for re-
approval by the Secretary. 
‘‘§ 22503. Purposes 
‘‘(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of a State rail plan 
are as follows: 
‘‘(1) To set forth State policy involving freight 
and passenger rail transportation, including com-
muter rail operations, in the State. 
‘‘(2) To establish the period covered by the 
State rail plan. 
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‘‘(3) To present priorities and strategies to en-
hance rail service in the State that benefits the pub-
lic. 
‘‘(4) To serve as the basis for Federal and 
State rail investments within the State. 
‘‘(b) COORDINATION.—A State rail plan shall be co-
ordinated with other State transportation planning goals 
and programs and set forth rail transportation’s role with-
in the State transportation system. 
‘‘§ 22504. Transparency; coordination; review 
‘‘(a) PREPARATION.—A State shall provide adequate 
and reasonable notice and opportunity for comment and 
other input to the public, rail carriers, commuter and tran-
sit authorities operating in, or affected by rail operations 
within the State, units of local government, and other in-
terested parties in the preparation and review of its State 
rail plan. 
‘‘(b) 
INTERGOVERNMENTAL
COORDINATION.—A 
State shall review the freight and passenger rail service 
activities and initiatives by regional planning agencies, re-
gional transportation authorities, and municipalities with-
in the State, or in the region in which the State is located, 
while preparing the plan, and shall include any rec-
ommendations made by such agencies, authorities, and 
municipalities as deemed appropriate by the State. 
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‘‘§ 22505. Content 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each State rail plan shall con-
tain the following: 
‘‘(1) An inventory of the existing overall rail 
transportation system and rail services and facilities 
within the State and an analysis of the role of rail 
transportation within the State’s surface transpor-
tation system. 
‘‘(2) A review of all rail lines within the State, 
including proposed high speed rail corridors and sig-
nificant rail line segments not currently in service. 
‘‘(3) A statement of the State’s passenger rail 
service objectives, including minimum service levels, 
for rail transportation routes in the State. 
‘‘(4) A general analysis of rail’s transportation, 
economic, and environmental impacts in the State, 
including congestion mitigation, trade and economic 
development, air quality, land-use, energy-use, and 
community impacts. 
‘‘(5) A long-range rail investment program for 
current and future freight and passenger infrastruc-
ture in the State that meets the requirements of 
subsection (b). 
‘‘(6) A statement of public financing issues for 
rail projects and service in the State, including a list 
of current and prospective public capital and oper-
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ating funding resources, public subsidies, State tax-
ation, and other financial policies relating to rail in-
frastructure development. 
‘‘(7) An identification of rail infrastructure 
issues within the State that reflects consultation 
with all relevant stake holders. 
‘‘(8) A review of major passenger and freight 
intermodal rail connections and facilities within the 
State, including seaports, and prioritized options to 
maximize service integration and efficiency between 
rail and other modes of transportation within the 
State. 
‘‘(9) A review of publicly funded projects within 
the State to improve rail transportation safety and 
security, including all major projects funded under 
section 130 of title 23. 
‘‘(10) A performance evaluation of passenger 
rail services operating in the State, including pos-
sible improvements in those services, and a descrip-
tion of strategies to achieve those improvements. 
‘‘(11) A compilation of studies and reports on 
high-speed rail corridor development within the 
State not included in a previous plan under this sub-
chapter, and a plan for funding any recommended 
development of such corridors in the State. 
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‘‘(12) A statement that the State is in compli-
ance with the requirements of section 22102. 
‘‘(b) LONG-RANGE SERVICE AND INVESTMENT PRO-
GRAM.— 
‘‘(1) PROGRAM
CONTENT.—A long-range rail 
investment program included in a State rail plan 
under subsection (a)(5) shall include the following 
matters: 
‘‘(A) A list of any rail capital projects ex-
pected to be undertaken or supported in whole 
or in part by the State. 
‘‘(B) A detailed funding plan for those 
projects. 
‘‘(2) PROJECT LIST CONTENT.—The list of rail 
capital projects shall contain— 
‘‘(A) a description of the anticipated public 
and private benefits of each such project; and 
‘‘(B) a statement of the correlation be-
tween— 
‘‘(i) public funding contributions for 
the projects; and 
‘‘(ii) the public benefits. 
‘‘(3) CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROJECT LIST.—In 
preparing the list of freight and intercity passenger 
rail capital projects, a State rail transportation au-
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