Ferry Service Expansion Act
Bill: S.4909 | Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty (D-WA)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Ferry Service Expansion Act
This bill revises and increases funding for grant programs related to ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities, including by making certain passenger ferries eligible and qualified vessels for capital construction funds.

To increase authorizations for the passenger ferry competitive grant 
   program and the ferry boats and terminal facilities formula grant 
                    program, 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 ``Ferry Service Expansion Act''.

SEC. 2. CONSTRUCTION OF FERRY BOATS AND FERRY TERMINAL FACILITIES.

    Section 147(h) of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``$112,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$160,000,000'';
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``$114,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$160,000,000'';
            (3) in paragraph (4), by striking ``$116,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$160,000,000''; and
            (4) in paragraph (5), by striking ``$118,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$160,000,000''.

SEC. 3. APPORTIONMENTS.

    Section 5336(h)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``$30,000,000'' and inserting ``$90,000,000''.

SEC. 4. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 133(b)(1)(B)(i) of title 23, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting ``, except that for the purposes of this 
section, hovercraft and terminal facilities for hovercraft engaging in 
water transit for passengers or vehicles shall be considered to be 
ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities under section 129(c)'' after 
``section 129(c)''.
    (b) Rule of Construction.--Any hovercraft funded using funds made 
available under section 133(b)(1) of title 23, United States Code, 
shall be deemed to be a vessel subject to chapters 121 and 551 of title 
46, United States Code.

SEC. 5. TOLL ROADS, BRIDGES, TUNNELS, AND FERRIES.

    (a) In General.--Section 129(c)(5) of title 23, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) in the first sentence, by inserting ``(including 
        between territories of the United States)'' after ``adjoining 
        States''; and
            (2) in the second sentence, by inserting ``operations 
        between territories of the United States,'' after ``United 
        States,''.
    (b) Sunset.--Section 11117(b) of the Infrastructure Investment and 
Jobs Act (23 U.S.C. 147 note; Public Law 117-58) is amended--
            (1) by striking the subsection designation and heading and 
        all that follows through ``section 147(b)'' in paragraph (1) 
        and inserting the following:
    ``(b) Diesel Fuel Ferry Vessels.--Notwithstanding section 147(b) of 
title 23, United States Code''; and
            (2) by striking paragraph (2).

SEC. 6. FERRY SERVICE FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES.

    Section 71103 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (23 
U.S.C. 147 note; Public Law 117-58) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``located more 
                than 50 sailing miles apart''; and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(3) Rural area.--The term `rural area' means an area 
        that--
                    ``(A) has not been designated by the Secretary of 
                Commerce in the most recent decennial census as an 
                urbanized area; or
                    ``(B) has been designated by the Secretary of 
                Commerce in the most recent decennial census as an 
                urbanized area, but has populations described in 
                subparagraphs (H) and (I) of section 343(a)(13) of the 
                Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
                1991(a)(13)) that if excluded would result in the area 
                encompassing a population of less than 50,000.'';
            (2) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections 
        (g) and (h), respectively; and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
    ``(f) Grant Requirements.--The requirements under sections 5323(j) 
and 5333 of title 49, United States Code, shall apply to grants under 
this section.''.

SEC. 7. ELECTRIC OR LOW-EMITTING FERRY PILOT PROGRAM.

    Section 71102 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (23 
U.S.C. 147 note; Public Law 117-58) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
    ``(d) Grant Requirements.--The requirements under sections 5323(j) 
and 5333 of title 49, United States Code, shall apply to grants under 
this section.''.

SEC. 8. TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS.

    The matter under the heading ``transit infrastructure grants'' 
under the heading ``Federal Transit Administration'' under the heading 
``DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'' in title VIII of division J of the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58; 135 Stat. 
1437) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``$10,250,000,000'' and inserting 
                ``$11,500,000,000''; and
                    (B) by striking ``$2,050,000,000'' each place it 
                appears and inserting ``$2,300,000,000'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (3) in paragraph (3) by striking the colon at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) $1,250,000,000 shall be to carry out passenger ferry 
        grants under section 5307(h) of title 49, United States 
        Code:''.

SEC. 9. QUALIFIED VESSEL.

    (a) Eligible Vessel.--Section 53501(2) of title 46, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking ``and'' at the 
        end;
            (2) in subparagraph (B)(v), by striking the period at the 
        end and inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) a ferry, as such term is defined in section 
                2101; and
                    ``(D) a passenger vessel or small passenger vessel, 
                as such terms are defined in section 2101.''.
    (b) Qualified Vessel.--Section 53501(5) of title 46, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking ``and'' at the 
        end;
            (2) in subparagraph (B)(v), by striking the period at the 
        end and inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) a ferry, as such term is defined in section 
                2101; and
                    ``(D) a passenger vessel or small passenger vessel, 
                as such terms are defined in section 2101.''.

SEC. 10. ESTABLISHING A CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION FUND.

    Section 53503(b) of title 46, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting ``(including transportation on a ferry, passenger vessel, or 
small passenger vessel, as such terms are defined in section 2101)'' 
after ``short sea transportation''.

SEC. 11. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.

    Section 133 of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (7)--
                            (i) by striking ``section 206'' and 
                        inserting ``section 206,''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``trails,,'' and inserting 
                        ``trails,''; and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (24) as paragraph 
                (4) and moving the paragraph so as to appear after 
                paragraph (3); and
            (2) in subsection (k)(1)(B)(i), by striking ``14501'' and 
        inserting ``section 14501''.
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