Title: Moving Towards A Safe Climate Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Moving Towards A Safe Climate Act
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to publish a national strategic action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector to the emissions target by the year 2040. (The emissions target is a level of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector that does not exceed 20 percent of the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States for the year 2005, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency.)
The plan may include criteria such as (1) strategies that increase the usage of passenger rail, public transportation systems, walking, cycling, and other low-carbon modes of transportation; (2) strategies and policies that reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled; (3) recommendations for tax incentives for the adoption of technology that produces low levels of greenhouse gas emissions; and (4) the development of transportation technology that dramatically reduces existing greenhouse gas emissions or produces low levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
The bill requires each state to develop a strategic action plan. DOT may withhold funding from states beginning in FY2023 until it determines that the state's strategic plan complies with criteria under the national plan.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6171 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6171

    To direct the Secretary of Transportation to publish a national 
    strategic action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the 
             transportation sector, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 10, 2020

 Mr. Lipinski introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of Transportation to publish a national 
    strategic action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the 
             transportation sector, 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 ``Moving Towards A Safe Climate Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In 2018, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on 
        Climate Change released a report that found that global warming 
        could reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above average temperature 
        levels by the year 2030.
            (2) The report outlined the potential impacts and 
        associated risks of a temperature increase of 1.5 degrees 
        Celsius, including increasing--
                    (A) intensity and frequency of droughts;
                    (B) frequency and amount of heavy precipitation; 
                and
                    (C) other extreme weather events.
            (3) The report found that in order to avoid the impacts of 
        a temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius, greenhouse gas 
        emissions must be reduced--
                    (A) between 40 to 60 percent below the level of 
                greenhouse gas emissions recorded in the year 2010 by 
                the year 2030; and
                    (B) to net zero emissions by the year 2050.
            (4) According to a report by the Environmental Protection 
        Agency entitled ``Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
        and Sinks'', transportation activities accounted for the 
        largest portion (approximately 29.9 percent) of total 
        greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in 2017.
            (5) The Secretary of Transportation has a leading role in 
        reducing United States greenhouse gas emissions since 
        transportation activities continue to account for a large 
        portion of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
            (6) Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will demonstrate 
        adherence to the commitments of the United States under the 
        Paris Agreement, and any other similar international climate 
        change agreements.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS 
              EMISSIONS.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, using the best available science 
and in collaboration with the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, shall publish an action plan known as the ``National 
Strategic Action Plan'' (in this Act referred to as the ``action 
plan'') to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector 
to the emissions target by the year 2040.
    (b) Content.--The action plan may include--
            (1) The implementation of strategies that increase the 
        usage of passenger rail, public transportation systems, 
        walking, cycling, and other low-carbon modes of transportation 
        including--
                    (A) improvements to infrastructure; and
                    (B) changes to engineering and design guidelines, 
                including the Manual on Uniform Control Devices for 
                Streets and Highways or current design criteria 
                codified under part 625, title 23 of the United States 
                Code of Federal Regulations.
            (2) Strategies and policies that reduce Vehicle Miles 
        Traveled (VMT), including--
                    (A) the promotion of transit oriented or transit 
                accessible development;
                    (B) access to jobs and services as a metric to 
                measure transportation success instead of level of 
                service; and
                    (C) more efficient land use or walkable 
                communities;
            (3) recommendations for tax incentives for the adoption of 
        technology that produces low levels of greenhouse gas 
        emissions;
            (4) the development of transportation technology that 
        dramatically reduces existing greenhouse gas emissions or 
        produces low levels of greenhouse gas emissions, including--
                    (A) alternative fuels;
                    (B) zero-emissions vehicles and associated charging 
                infrastructure;
                    (C) intelligent transportation systems or advanced 
                data; and
                    (D) emissions capture technologies; and
            (5) recommendations for changes to DOT grant criteria, 
        Federal surface transportation policy, and Federal regulations 
        that would prioritize investments supporting these goals.
    (c) Consultation.--In developing the action plan, the Secretary 
shall consult with--
            (1) other Federal agencies, as appropriate;
            (2) individuals from--
                    (A) the business community, including trade 
                associations and small business owners;
                    (B) labor organizations;
                    (C) the environmental community;
                    (D) the public health community;
                    (E) the defense community; and
                    (F) the scientific community, including the 
                National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
                Medicine, organizations that further the scientific 
                profession, and institutions of higher education;
                    (G) transportation experts, including walking, 
                biking, and public transit advocates;
            (3) representatives from State, Tribal, and local 
        governments, including State transportation departments and 
        metropolitan planning organizations; and
            (4) other organizations that the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    (d) Public Comment.--In developing the action plan, the Secretary 
shall make the draft action plan available for public comment for at 
least 60 days, and issue a response to public comments received within 
90 days of the end of the comment period.
    (e) Revision.--Not later than 6 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and every 4 years thereafter until the year 
2040, the Secretary shall revise the action plan.
    (f) State Strategic Action Plan.--
            (1) Withholding of funds.--For fiscal year 2023, and each 
        fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary shall withhold 5 percent 
        of the amount required to be apportioned to a State under 
        section 104(b) of title 23, United States Code, until the 
        Secretary determines that a strategic action plan submitted to 
        the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (2) complies with the 
        criteria developed pursuant to such paragraph.
            (2) State criteria.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop criteria 
        for each State to submit a strategic action plan to the 
        Secretary not later than fiscal year 2023, and every 4 years 
        thereafter until the year 2040, to achieve the emissions target 
        by the year 2040, with consideration given to the greenhouse 
        gas emissions of each such State.
    (g) Report to Congress.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and every 4 years thereafter until the year 
2040, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on--
            (1) the following information for each State--
                    (A) total greenhouse gas emissions from 
                transportation;
                    (B) greenhouse gas emissions per capita;
                    (C) vehicle miles traveled per capita; and
                    (D) average vehicle fleet efficiency;
            (2) actions taken to achieve the emissions target; and
            (3) progress with respect to achieving the emissions 
        target.
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Emissions target.--The term ``emissions target'' means 
        a level of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation 
        sector that does not exceed 20 percent of the level of 
        greenhouse gas emissions in the United States for the year 
        2005, as determined by the Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency.
            (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) Metropolitan planning organization.--The term 
        ``metropolitan planning organization'' has the meaning given 
        the term under section 134 of title 23, United States Code.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given the 
        term under section 101 of title 23, United States Code.
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