Title: PLACE Act
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 clearinghouse; (2) collect, conduct, and fund research on how autonomous vehicles can influence land use, urban design, transportation, real estate, municipal budgets, social equity, and the environment; and (3) make such research publicly available online.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2542 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2542

   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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2019

Mr. Blumenauer (for himself, Ms. Bonamici, and Mr. Michael F. Doyle of 
Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the 
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   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. GRANTS FOR THE OPERATION OF A NATIONAL HIGHLY AUTOMATED VEHICLE 
              CLEARINGHOUSE.

    (a) In General.--Part A of subtitle VI of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:

     ``CHAPTER 307--NATIONAL HIGHLY AUTOMATED VEHICLE CLEARINGHOUSE

``SEC. 30701. NATIONAL HIGHLY AUTOMATED VEHICLE CLEARINGHOUSE.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall make a 
grant to an institution of higher education engaged in research on the 
secondary influences of highly automated vehicles to--
            ``(1) operate a national highly automated vehicle 
        clearinghouse;
            ``(2) collect, conduct, and fund research on the secondary 
        influences of highly automated vehicles; and
            ``(3) make such research available on a public website.
    ``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund $2,000,000 for each fiscal 
year, beginning with fiscal year 2019, to carry out this Act.
    ``(c) Applicability of Title 23.--Funds authorized by subsection 
(b) shall be available for obligation in the same manner as if such 
funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23 except that the 
funds shall remain available until expended.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Highly automated vehicle.--The term `highly automated 
        vehicle' means a motor vehicle that is capable of performing 
        the entire task of driving (including steering, accelerating 
        and decelerating, and reacting to external stimulus) without 
        human intervention.
            ``(2) 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).
            ``(3) Secondary influence.--The term `secondary influence' 
        means the influence on land use, urban design, transportation, 
        real estate, municipal budgets, social equity, and the 
        environment.''.
    (b) Deadline for Clearinghouse.--The Secretary of Transportation 
shall ensure that the institution of higher education who receives the 
grant described in section 30701(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 the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for 
part A of subtitle VI, of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to chapter 305 the following new 
item:

``307. National highly automated vehicle clearinghouse.''.
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