MORE DOT Grants Act
Bill: S.649 | Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine (D-NV)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
More Opportunities for Rural Economies from DOT Grants Act or the MORE DOT Grants Act
This bill revises the process for awarding grants under certain programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to high-density public land counties and any units of tribal and local governments within such counties. A high-density public land county is a county that has a population of not more than 100,000 people and in which more than 50% of the land is owned or managed by the federal government.
Any requirement for local matching funds under a qualifying grant program must be reduced by 50% with respect to such jurisdictions.
On request, DOT must provide additional technical assistance to such jurisdictions during the annual application period for each qualifying grant program.
DOT must also prioritize grant applications from such jurisdictions that have not received support under the qualifying grant program during the 10-year period preceding the date of the application.

To improve the process for awarding grants under certain programs of 
   the Department of Transportation to certain counties in which the 
 majority of land is owned or managed by the Federal Government and to 
    other units of local government and Tribal governments in those 
                   counties, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``More Opportunities for Rural 
Economies from DOT Grants Act'' or the ``MORE DOT Grants Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) High-density public land county.--The term ``High-
        Density Public Land County'' means a county (or equivalent 
        jurisdiction) of a State or territory of the United States--
                    (A) that has a population of not more than 100,000 
                people, according to the most recent annual estimates 
                of population by the Bureau of the Census; and
                    (B) in which more than 50 percent of the land is 
                owned or managed by the Federal Government.
            (2) Qualifying grant program.--The term ``qualifying grant 
        program'' means--
                    (A) the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage 
                Development (BUILD) Transportation discretionary grant 
                program of the Department of Transportation;
                    (B) the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America 
                (INFRA) grant program of the Department of 
                Transportation;
                    (C) the public transportation innovation grant 
                program established under section 5312 of title 49, 
                United States Code;
                    (D) the public transportation safety program 
                established under section 5329 of title 49, United 
                States Code;
                    (E) the Federal lands access program under section 
                204 of title 23, United States Code;
                    (F) the airport improvement program established 
                under subchapter I of chapter 471 of title 49, United 
                States Code;
                    (G) the consolidated rail infrastructure and safety 
                improvements program under section 22907 of title 49, 
                United States Code; and
                    (H) any other discretionary grant program of the 
                Department of Transportation under which grants are 
                awarded to--
                            (i) counties;
                            (ii) other units of local government; or
                            (iii) Tribal governments.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
            (4) Tribal government.--The term ``Tribal government'' 
        means the recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska 
        Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community, 
        component band, or component reservation, individually 
        identified (including parenthetically) in the list published 
        most recently as of the date of enactment of this Act pursuant 
        to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List 
        Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).

SEC. 3. GRANTS.

    (a) Reduction in Local Matching Requirements.--Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, with respect to a High-Density Public Land 
County and any unit of local government or Tribal government within a 
High-Density Public Land County, any requirement for local matching 
funds under a qualifying grant program shall be reduced by 50 percent.
    (b) Technical Assistance.--On request of a High-Density Public Land 
County or any unit of local government or Tribal government within a 
High-Density Public Land County, the Secretary shall provide additional 
technical assistance to the High-Density Public Land County, unit of 
local government, or Tribal government before and during the annual 
application period for each qualifying grant program.
    (c) Priority.--
            (1) Application approval.--In approving applications for a 
        qualifying grant program, the Secretary shall give priority to 
        an application from a High-Density Public Land County, unit of 
        local government within a High-Density Public Land County, or 
        Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County that 
        has not received support under the qualifying grant program 
        during the 10-year period preceding the date of the 
        application.
            (2) Technical assistance and other support.--In carrying 
        out subsections (b) and (e), the Secretary may give priority to 
        a Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County.
    (d) Special Consideration.--In approving applications for a 
qualifying grant program, the Secretary--
            (1) shall give special consideration to an application from 
        a High-Density Public Land County or unit of local government 
        within a High-Density Public Land County with respect to any 
        rural set-aside designated for the applicable qualifying grant 
        program by an Act of Congress; and
            (2) may give special consideration to an application from a 
        Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County with 
        respect to a rural set-aside described in paragraph (1).
    (e) Other Support.--The Secretary may provide additional support, 
as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, for a High-Density 
Public Land County or a unit of local government or Tribal government 
within a High-Density Public Land County, including by considering and, 
if appropriate, offering flexibility with respect to any requirement 
of, or barrier to applying for or receiving assistance under, a 
qualifying grant program if the requirement or barrier relates to--
            (1) scoring criteria relating to numerical size and impact, 
        such as the number of jobs created or the number of people 
        served, which disadvantage small and isolated communities;
            (2) any requirement that an applicant for a qualifying 
        grant program partner with other institutions, such as 
        community colleges or foundations, which may not operate in the 
        jurisdiction of the High-Density Public Land County, unit of 
        local government, or Tribal government seeking assistance under 
        the qualifying grant program;
            (3) any financial or cash-on-hand requirement that a High-
        Density Public Land County or a unit of local government or 
        Tribal government within a High-Density Public Land County 
        cannot meet for reasons other than any financial constraints to 
        which the High-Density Public Land County, unit of local 
        government, or Tribal government is subject; or
            (4) an overly complicated or overly technical application 
        for a qualifying grant program that deters High-Density Public 
        Land Counties or units of local government or Tribal 
        governments within High-Density Public Land Counties from 
        applying for the qualifying grant program.
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