Investments in Rural Transit Act of 2021
Bill: S.267 | Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Tina (D-MN)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Investments in Rural Transit Act of 2021
This bill increases the federal share of operating costs to 80% for projects in certain rural areas with high transit dependency that receive grants under the Formula Grants for Rural Areas program of the Federal Transit Administration. The program provides capital, planning, and operating assistance to states to support public transportation in rural areas with populations of less than 50,000.
To qualify for the increased federal share, a project must serve an area that is

To increase the Federal share of operating costs for certain projects 
that receive grants under the Formula Grants to Rural Areas Program of 
                  the Federal Transit Administration.

    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 ``Investments in Rural Transit Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. INCREASED FEDERAL SHARE OF OPERATING COSTS FOR CERTAIN AREAS.

    Section 5311(g)(2)(B) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the subparagraph heading, by striking ``Exception'' 
        and inserting ``Exceptions'';
            (2) by striking ``A State'' and inserting the following:
                            ``(i) States with nontaxable indian lands 
                        or public domain lands.--Subject to clause 
                        (ii), a State''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ii) Areas with particular needs.--
                                    ``(I) Definition.--In this clause, 
                                the term `area of persistent poverty' 
                                means--
                                            ``(aa) any county in which 
                                        not less than 20 percent of the 
                                        population has lived in poverty 
                                        during the most recent 30-year 
                                        period, as measured by--

                                                    ``(AA) the second 
                                                and third most recent 
                                                decennial censuses; and

                                                    ``(BB) the Small 
                                                Area Income and Poverty 
                                                Estimates of the Bureau 
                                                of the Census for the 
                                                most recent year for 
                                                which the Estimates are 
                                                available; or

                                            ``(bb) any census tract 
                                        with a poverty rate of not less 
                                        than 20 percent, as measured by 
                                        most recent 5-year data series 
                                        available from the American 
                                        Community Survey of the Bureau 
                                        of the Census.
                                    ``(II) Increased federal share.--A 
                                grant made under this section for 
                                operating assistance to an operator of 
                                public transportation that serves an 
                                area that meets one or more of the 
                                criteria under subclause (III) shall be 
                                for 80 percent of the net operating 
                                costs of the project, as determined by 
                                the Secretary.
                                    ``(III) Criteria.--The criteria 
                                referred to in subclause (II) are that 
                                an area--
                                            ``(aa) is an area of 
                                        persistent poverty;
                                            ``(bb) is a county in which 
                                        not less than 25 percent of 
                                        residents are age 65 or older, 
                                        according to the most recent 5-
                                        year estimate of the American 
                                        Community Survey of the Bureau 
                                        of the Census;
                                            ``(cc) is a county that, or 
                                        is a county that includes a 
                                        site that--

                                                    ``(AA) has been 
                                                designated by the 
                                                Secretary of Health and 
                                                Human Services as a 
                                                health professional 
                                                shortage area under 
                                                section 332(a) of the 
                                                Public Health Service 
                                                Act (42 U.S.C. 254e(a)) 
                                                on the basis of a 
                                                primary care or mental 
                                                health care shortage; 
                                                and

                                                    ``(BB) received a 
                                                health professional 
                                                shortage area score for 
                                                the most recent program 
                                                year, with respect to 
                                                primary care or mental 
                                                health care, that was 
                                                not less than the 
                                                lowest minimum score, 
                                                as designated by the 
                                                Secretary of Health and 
                                                Human Services for that 
                                                program year, necessary 
                                                for the site to be 
                                                eligible for the 
                                                assignment of National 
                                                Health Service Corps 
                                                members providing 
                                                primary care or mental 
                                                health care, 
                                                respectively, for 
                                                fulfillment of 
                                                obligated service under 
                                                the National Health 
                                                Service Corps 
                                                Scholarship Program; or

                                            ``(dd) is a county with a 
                                        population density of not more 
                                        than 20 persons per square mile 
                                        of land area, based on the most 
                                        recent decennial census.''.
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