PLACE Act
Bill: H.R.385 | Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl (D-OR)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Preparing Localities for an Autonomous and Connected Environment Act or the PLACE Act
This bill directs the Department of Transportation to provide grants to institutions of higher education to (1) operate a national highly automated vehicle and mobility innovation clearinghouse; (2) collect, conduct, and fund research on how autonomous vehicles and mobility innovation can impact land use, urban design, transportation systems, real estate, accessibility, municipal budgets, social equity, availability and quality of jobs, air quality and climate, energy consumption, and the environment; (3) make such research publicly available online; and (4) conduct outreach and disseminate information on the research to assist communities.

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to make grants for the 
operation of a clearinghouse to collect, conduct, and fund research on 
the influences of highly automated vehicles on land use, urban design, 
   transportation, real estate, and municipal budgets, 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 ``Preparing Localities for an 
Autonomous and Connected Environment Act'' or the ``PLACE Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL HIGHLY AUTOMATED VEHICLE AND MOBILITY INNOVATION 
              CLEARINGHOUSE.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 55 of title 49, United 
States Code, is further amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 5506. National highly automated vehicle and mobility innovation 
              clearinghouse
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall make a grant to an 
institution of higher education engaged in research on the secondary 
impacts of highly automated vehicles and mobility innovation to--
            ``(1) operate a national highly automated vehicle and 
        mobility innovation clearinghouse;
            ``(2) collect, conduct, and fund research on the secondary 
        impacts of highly automated vehicles and mobility innovation;
            ``(3) make such research available on a public website; and
            ``(4) conduct outreach and dissemination of the information 
        described in this subsection to assist communities.
    ``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit 
Account) to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each fiscal year from 
funds made available to carry out sections 512 through 518 of title 23, 
United States Code.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Highly automated vehicle.--The term `highly automated 
        vehicle' means a motor vehicle that--
                    ``(A) is capable of performing the entire task of 
                driving (including steering, accelerating and 
                decelerating, and reacting to external stimulus) 
                without human intervention; and
                    ``(B) is designed to be operated exclusively by a 
                Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5 automated driving system 
                for all trips according to the recommended practice 
                standards published on June 15, 2018, by the Society of 
                Automotive Engineers International (J3016_201806) or 
                equivalent standards adopted by the Secretary with 
                respect to automated motor vehicles.
            ``(2) Mobility innovation.--The term `mobility innovation' 
        means an activity described in section 5316, including mobility 
        on demand and mobility as a service (as such terms are defined 
        in such section).
            ``(3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            ``(4) Secondary impacts.--The term `secondary impacts' 
        means the impacts on land use, urban design, transportation 
        systems, real estate, accessibility, municipal budgets, social 
        equity, availability and quality of jobs, air quality and 
        climate, energy consumption, and the environment.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 55 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``5506. National highly automated vehicle and mobility innovation 
                            clearinghouse.''.
    (c) Deadline for Clearinghouse.--The Secretary of Transportation 
shall ensure that the institution of higher education that receives the 
grant described in section 5506(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a), shall establish the national highly 
automated vehicle clearinghouse described in such section not later 
than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
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