A bill to establish a community-driven decisionmaking pilot program to demonstrate enhanced community-based decisionmaking in the transportation planning process, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.1717 | Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff (D-OR)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
This bill establishes a pilot program to facilitate community involvement in transportation planning by supporting partnerships between one or more transportation planning agencies (e.g., local and regional metropolitan planning organizations) and community-based organizations.
To carry out the program, the Department of Transportation must award grants to such partnerships for, among other purposes, facilitating public meetings and stipends to cover expenses of community participants related to their engagement in transportation planning processes.

To establish a community-driven decision-making pilot program to 
      demonstrate enhanced community-based decision making in the 
        transportation planning process, 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. COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Community-based organization.--The term ``community-
        based organization'' means a private, locally initiated, 
        community-based organization that--
                    (A) is a nonprofit organization described in 
                section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and 
                exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code; 
                and
                    (B) has a Board of Directors that represent a 
                majority of residents of the area served by the 
                organization.
            (2) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible 
        partnership'' means a partnership between--
                    (A) 1 or more local transportation planning 
                agencies, including at least 1 of--
                            (i) a metropolitan planning organization 
                        (as defined in section 134(b) of title 23, 
                        United States Code);
                            (ii) a regional transportation planning 
                        organization designated under section 135(m) of 
                        title 23, United States Code;
                            (iii) a municipal corporation;
                            (iv) a county; or
                            (v) any other unit of local government; and
                    (B) a community-based organization.
            (3) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the 
        community-driven decision-making pilot program established 
        under subsection (b)(1).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
    (b) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a community-
        driven decision-making pilot program to provide grants to 
        eligible partnerships.
            (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the pilot program shall be to 
        demonstrate enhanced community-based decision making in the 
        transportation planning process by supporting partnerships 
        between local transportation planning agencies and community-
        based organizations which will serve as models for other 
        communities to deepen and strengthen community engagement in 
        transportation planning processes.
    (c) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the 
pilot program, an eligible partnership shall submit to the Secretary an 
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require.
    (d) Eligible Costs.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible partnership that receives a 
        grant under the pilot program may use the grant funds for--
                    (A) personnel costs, including costs--
                            (i) to support employees of the community-
                        based organization to enable the organization 
                        to engage with the community during the 
                        transportation planning process; and
                            (ii) to support employees of the local 
                        transportation planning agency in conducting 
                        more robust public engagement;
                    (B) materials and technology to support community 
                engagement, including physical and digital presentation 
                of data and polling;
                    (C) training for personnel to improve the ability 
                of the personnel to pursue and incorporate public input 
                in the transportation planning process;
                    (D) training for the community-based organization 
                and residents of the community in the basics of 
                transportation planning;
                    (E) facilitation of public meetings, including 
                publicity, food, and provision of childcare;
                    (F) stipends for community participants for 
                expenses relating to engagement in the transportation 
                planning process; and
                    (G) hiring and training of street teams to engage 
                in public outreach relating to the transportation 
                planning process, including the use of questionnaires 
                and the solicitation of ongoing feedback.
            (2) Administrative costs.--An eligible partnership may use 
        not more than 5 percent of the funds from a grant under the 
        pilot program for administrative costs.
            (3) Limitation.--A community-based organization that is 
        part of an eligible partnership that receives a grant under the 
        pilot program shall only carry out activities under the pilot 
        program relating to community engagement and outreach.
    (e) Requirements.--An eligible partnership that receives a grant 
under the pilot program shall--
            (1) submit to the Secretary a public engagement plan that--
                    (A) provides a direct role for community members in 
                determining the priorities for and outcomes of a 
                transportation planning process that will impact the 
                community; and
                    (B) includes--
                            (i) a description of how the eligible 
                        partnership will provide an increase in 
                        capacity for the community-based organization 
                        for 1 or more employees to engage directly in 
                        the transportation planning process;
                            (ii) a description of how the eligible 
                        partnership will provide dedicated personnel 
                        within the local transportation planning agency 
                        for engagement with the community-based 
                        organization partner and for solicitation and 
                        incorporation of community input; and
                            (iii) specific and detailed strategies to 
                        ensure broad and equitable community input from 
                        traditionally underrepresented members of the 
                        community, especially low-income residents and 
                        people of color;
            (2) ensure that--
                    (A) substantial weight is given to community input 
                throughout the planning process, including in 
                establishing goals and determining priority projects; 
                and
                    (B) there is documentation of the extent to which 
                community input is incorporated or the reasons for not 
                incorporating community input;
            (3) ensure that all strategies described in paragraph 
        (1)(B)(iii) are broadly accessible to people with disabilities 
        in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 
        (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); and
            (4) provide, in accessible formats that are easily 
        understandable to the public, access to information including, 
        at a minimum--
                    (A) data about travel patterns and demand, 
                including data relating to induced demand and 
                multimodal accessibility;
                    (B) any performance targets established pursuant to 
                section 150 of title 23, United States Code, the 
                achievement of which might be impacted by any projects 
                or priorities under consideration; and
                    (C) the impacts of transportation priorities set 
                and projects under consideration on specific 
                neighborhoods and communities, including disparate 
                impacts on traditionally disadvantaged communities.
    (f) Reports.--
            (1) Report to secretary.--After carrying out all activities 
        with a grant under the pilot program, each eligible partnership 
        shall submit to the Secretary a report that describes--
                    (A) the activities that were carried out with the 
                grant funds;
                    (B) the effect on community engagement on the 
                activities carried out with the grant funds; and
                    (C) the extent of cooperation between the 
                community-based organization and the 1 or more local 
                transportation planning agencies in the eligible 
                partnership.
            (2) Report to congress.--Not later than 5 years after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
        Congress a report on the effectiveness of the pilot program, 
        including--
                    (A) lessons learned with respect to community 
                engagement in transportation planning; and
                    (B) recommendations for future Federal support of 
                community engagement efforts in transportation 
                planning.
    (g) Publication.--The Secretary shall make publicly available on 
the website of the Department of Transportation--
            (1) public engagement reports submitted by eligible 
        partnerships under subsection (e)(1);
            (2) reports submitted to the Secretary under subsection 
        (f)(1); and
            (3) the report submitted to Congress under subsection 
        (f)(2).
    (h) Maximum Amount.--A grant under the pilot program shall be not 
more than $400,000.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit 
Account) to carry out the pilot program $4,200,000 for fiscal year 
2022, to remain available until expended.
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