Title: SAFE Streets Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Safe And Friendly for the Environment Streets Act or the SAFE Streets Act
This bill requires state and local transportation agencies to dedicate certain funds under the highway safety improvement program to areas with vulnerable user fatality rates over 1.5 fatalities per 100,000 people. The bill defines a "vulnerable user" as a pedestrian, bicyclist, disabled individual, or an individual using a mobility device, e.g., a wheelchair or walker.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3040 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3040

 To amend title 23, United States Code, to include a special rule for 
 the dedication of funds under the highway safety improvement program 
         for certain vulnerable users, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 30, 2019

  Ms. Brownley of California introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 23, United States Code, to include a special rule for 
 the dedication of funds under the highway safety improvement program 
         for certain vulnerable users, 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 ``Safe And Friendly for the 
Environment Streets Act'' or the ``SAFE Streets Act''.

SEC. 2. VULNERABLE USER SPECIAL RULE.

    Section 148(g) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Vulnerable users.--
                    ``(A) In general.--If a covered planning area has a 
                vulnerable user fatality rate that exceeds 1.5 
                individuals per 100,000 individuals (as calculated 
                under subparagraph (B)), the State in which the covered 
                planning area is located shall obligate funding amounts 
                (in an amount described in subparagraph (C)) for the 
                fiscal year beginning after the 3-year period described 
                in subparagraph (B)(i) for projects on safety 
                improvements for vulnerable users in such covered 
                planning area.
                    ``(B) Calculation of vulnerable user fatality 
                rates.--Annually, the Secretary shall--
                            ``(i) for each covered planning area, 
                        calculate the vulnerable user fatality rate for 
                        the most recent 3-year period for which data is 
                        available;
                            ``(ii) for each covered planning area for 
                        which such rate exceeds 1.5 individuals per 
                        100,000 individuals, determine the funding 
                        amount that each State in which such covered 
                        planning area is located shall obligate in 
                        accordance with subparagraph (C); and
                            ``(iii) publish any rate calculated under 
                        clause (i) and any funding amounts determined 
                        under clause (ii) on the Department of 
                        Transportation website.
                    ``(C) Calculation of funding amounts.--The amount 
                described in this subparagraph is the amount received 
                by a State under this section in a fiscal year 
                multiplied by--
                            ``(i) the number of vulnerable user 
                        fatalities in the covered planning area of the 
                        State, divided by
                            ``(ii) the total traffic fatalities in the 
                        State.
                    ``(D) Authorized user of funds.--
                            ``(i) In general.--For funds obligated for 
                        use in a covered planning area under this 
                        paragraph, and except as provided under clause 
                        (ii), the State in which such covered planning 
                        area is located, in consultation with the 
                        applicable authority of such area, shall carry 
                        out projects funded under this section.
                            ``(ii) Exception.--In the case of a 
                        metropolitan planning area with a population of 
                        over 200,000, the metropolitan planning 
                        organization shall carry out projects funded 
                        under this section.
                    ``(E) Definitions.--In this paragraph, the 
                following definitions apply:
                            ``(i) Covered planning area.--The term 
                        `covered planning area' means, with respect to 
                        a State--
                                    ``(I) an area under the 
                                jurisdiction of a metropolitan planning 
                                organization;
                                    ``(II) a Tribal land (as defined in 
                                section 2601(13) of the Energy Policy 
                                Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3501(13))); or
                                    ``(III) all areas in the State not 
                                described by subclauses (I) and (II).
                            ``(ii) Vulnerable user.--The term 
                        `vulnerable user' means--
                                    ``(I) a pedestrian;
                                    ``(II) an individual on a bicycle, 
                                whether such individual is a 
                                pedalcyclist or riding a low-speed 
                                electric bicycle;
                                    ``(III) an individual with a 
                                disability; or
                                    ``(IV) an individual using a 
                                mobility device (including a 
                                wheelchair, walker, or scooter, whether 
                                motorized or non-motorized).
                            ``(iii) Vulnerable user fatality.--The term 
                        `vulnerable user fatality' means a 
                        transportation-related fatality of an 
                        individual while such individual is a 
                        vulnerable user.''.
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