Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants Act
Bill: H.R.5267 | Sponsor: Rep. Williams, Nikema (D-GA)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants Act
This bill establishes discretionary grants for removing, replacing, or retrofitting highways and freeways to improve connectivity in communities and for planning and capacity building to increase community involvement in transportation planning and related activities. The bill prioritizes grants that fund projects in economically disadvantaged communities or that meet other criteria.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) must award the grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments and metropolitan planning organizations. For the planning and capacity-building grants, the FHA may award grants to nonprofits or institutions of higher education that partner with governments or metropolitan planning organizations.

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration to 
 establish a program to provide grants for reconnecting neighborhoods, 
                        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 ``Neighborhood Access and Equity 
Grants Act''.

SEC. 2. RECONNECTING NEIGHBORHOODS.

    (a) Authorization.--There is authorized to be appropriated from the 
General Fund of the Treasury, $3,950,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 for 
the purposes described in this section.
    (b) Grant Authority.--The Administrator of the Federal Highway 
Administration shall establish a program to provide discretionary 
grants to eligible entities described in subsection (c)--
            (1) to improve walkability, safety, and affordable 
        transportation access through construction (as such term is 
        defined in section 101 of title 23, United States Code) of 
        projects that are sensitive to the context of the community--
                    (A) to remove, remediate, or reuse a facility 
                described in subsection (d);
                    (B) to replace a facility described in subsection 
                (d) with a facility that is at-grade or lower speed; or
                    (C) to retrofit or cap a facility described in 
                subsection (d); and
            (2) for planning and capacity building activities in 
        disadvantaged or underserved communities to--
                    (A) identify, monitor, or assess local and ambient 
                air quality, emissions of greenhouse gases, hot spot 
                areas of extreme heat or elevated air pollution, gaps 
                in tree canopy coverage, or flood prone locations;
                    (B) assess transportation equity or pollution 
                impacts and develop local anti-displacement policies 
                and community benefit agreements;
                    (C) conduct predevelopment activities for projects 
                eligible under this subsection;
                    (D) expand public participation in transportation 
                planning by individuals and organizations in 
                disadvantaged or underserved communities; or
                    (E) administer or obtain technical assistance 
                related to activities described in this subsection.
    (c) Eligible Entities Described.--An eligible entity referred to in 
subsection (b) is--
            (1) a State (as such term is defined in section 101 of 
        title 23, United States Code);
            (2) a unit of local government;
            (3) a political subdivision of a State (as such term is 
        defined in section 101 of title 23, United States Code);
            (4) a recipient of funds under section 202 of title 23, 
        United States Code;
            (5) a territory of the United States;
            (6) a metropolitan planning organization (as defined in 
        section 134(b) of title 23, United States Code); or
            (7) with respect to a grant described in subsection (a)(2), 
        in addition to an eligible entity described in paragraphs (1) 
        through (6), a nonprofit organization or institution of higher 
        education that has entered into a partnership with an eligible 
        entity described in paragraphs (1) through (6).
    (d) Facility Described.--A facility is a surface transportation 
facility for which high speeds, grade separation, or other design 
factors create an obstacle to connectivity within a community.
    (e) Minimum Investment.--Not less than 40 percent of the amounts 
made available under subsection (a) shall be distributed for projects 
in communities that--
            (1) are economically disadvantaged, including an 
        underserved community or a community located in an area of 
        persistent poverty;
            (2) have entered or will enter into a community benefits 
        agreement with representatives of the community;
            (3) have an anti-displacement policy, a community land 
        trust, or a community advisory board in effect; or
            (4) have demonstrated a plan for employing local residents 
        in the area impacted by the activity or project proposed under 
        this section.
    (f) Administration.--Amounts made available under subsection (a) 
shall be administered as if made available under chapter 1 of title 23, 
United States Code, and a project carried out under this section shall 
be treated as a project on a Federal-aid highway under such chapter.
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