GREEN Buses Act
Bill: H.R.3347 | Sponsor: Rep. Larsen, Rick (D-WA)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Generating Reduced Emissions by Electrifying New Buses Act or the GREEN Buses Act
This bill limits eligibility for certain grants that support projects to reduce emissions of public transportation vehicles.
Current law permits the use of the grants for (1) projects related to both low- and zero-emission vehicles, and (2) constructing new and improving existing public transportation facilities to accommodate such vehicles. This bill limits the use of the grants to (1) projects related to no-emission vehicles, and (2) improving existing public transportation facilities.
The bill also sets out additional criteria that apply to the grants. For example, the bill specifies the minimum number of buses that must be procured through a grant. Furthermore, at least 10% of grant funds must be distributed to projects that predominately serve low-income communities.

To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a program relating 
 to the acquisition or leasing of zero emission buses or bus facility 
                 improvements, 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 ``Generating Reduced Emissions by 
Electrifying New Buses Act'' or the ``GREEN Buses Act''.

SEC. 2. ZERO EMISSION BUS GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 5339(c) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) in the heading by striking ``Low or No Emission 
        Grants'' and inserting ``Zero Emission Grants'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) in clause (i) by striking ``low or no 
                        emission'' and inserting ``zero emission'';
                            (ii) in clause (ii) by striking ``low or no 
                        emission'' and inserting ``zero emission'';
                            (iii) in clause (iii) by striking ``low or 
                        no emission'' and inserting ``zero emission'';
                            (iv) in clause (iv) by striking 
                        ``facilities and related equipment for low or 
                        no emission'' and inserting ``related equipment 
                        for zero emission'';
                            (v) in clause (v) by striking ``facilities 
                        and related equipment for low or no emission 
                        vehicles;'' and inserting ``related equipment 
                        for zero emission vehicles; or'';
                            (vi) in clause (vii) by striking ``low or 
                        no emission'' and inserting ``zero emission'';
                            (vii) by striking clause (vi); and
                            (viii) by redesignating clause (vii) as 
                        clause (vi);
                    (B) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(D) the term `zero emission bus' means a bus that 
                is a zero emission vehicle;'';
                    (C) by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(E) the term `zero emission vehicle' means a 
                vehicle used to provide public transportation that 
                produces no carbon dioxide or particulate matter;'';
                    (D) in subparagraph (F) by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (E) by striking subparagraph (G) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(G) the term `eligible area' means an area that 
                is--
                            ``(i) designated as a nonattainment area 
                        for ozone or particulate matter under section 
                        107(d) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
                        7407(d));
                            ``(ii) a maintenance area, as such term is 
                        defined in section 5303, for ozone or 
                        particulate matter; or
                            ``(iii) in a State that has enacted a 
                        statewide zero emission bus transition 
                        requirement, as determined by the Secretary; 
                        and''; and
                    (F) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(H) the term `low-income community' means any 
                population census tract if--
                            ``(i) the poverty rate for such tract is at 
                        least 20 percent; or
                            ``(ii) in the case of a tract--
                                    ``(I) not located within a 
                                metropolitan area, the median family 
                                income for such tract does not exceed 
                                80 percent of statewide median family 
                                income; or
                                    ``(II) located within a 
                                metropolitan area, the median family 
                                income for such tract does not exceed 
                                80 percent of the greater statewide 
                                median family income or the 
                                metropolitan area median family 
                                income.'';
            (3) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as paragraphs 
        (7) and (8), respectively; and
            (4) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following:
            ``(5) Grant eligibility.--In awarding grants under this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall make grants to eligible 
        projects relating to the acquisition or leasing of zero 
        emission buses or bus facility improvements--
                    ``(A) that procure--
                            ``(i) at least 10 zero emission buses;
                            ``(ii) if the recipient operates less than 
                        50 buses in peak service, at least 5 zero 
                        emission buses; or
                            ``(iii) hydrogen buses;
                    ``(B) for which the recipient's board of directors 
                has approved a long-term integrated fleet management 
                plan that--
                            ``(i) establishes a goal by a set date to 
                        convert the entire bus fleet to zero emission 
                        buses; or
                            ``(ii) establishes a goal that within 10 
                        years from the date of approval of such plan 
                        the recipient will convert a set percentage of 
                        the total bus fleet of such recipient to zero 
                        emission buses; and
                    ``(C) for which the recipient has performed a fleet 
                transition study that includes optimal route planning 
                and an analysis of how utility rates may impact the 
                recipient's operations and maintenance budget.
            ``(6) Low and moderate community grants.--Not less than 10 
        percent of the amounts made available under this subsection in 
        a fiscal year shall be distributed to projects serving 
        predominantly low-income communities.''.
    (b) Metropolitan Transportation Planning.--Section 5303(b) of title 
49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Maintenance area.--The term `maintenance area' has 
        the meaning given the term in sections 171(2) and 175A of the 
        Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7501(2); 7505a).''.
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