Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3380
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2008-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Alternative energy sources
Commuting
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Economics and Public Finance
Electric vehicles
Energy
Energy efficiency
Environmental Protection
Federal aid to transportation
Federal employees
Federal-state relations
Fringe benefits
Fuel consumption
Government Operations and Politics
Government procurement
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Light rail transit
Mass rapid transit
Motor buses
Motor vehicle pollution control
Natural gas vehicles
Parking facilities
Railroad terminals
Subways
Transportation engineering
Transportation rates
Travel costs
Urban affairs
Urban transportation
User charges

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: 
Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2009 for public transportation formula grants. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make such grants for: (1) operating costs of equipment and facilities being used to provide the public transportation the grant recipient is no longer able to pay as a result of reducing fares; (2) operating and capital costs of equipment and facilities being used to provide transportation services that the recipient incurs as a result of expanding such services; (3) the avoidance of increased fares or decreased services; (4) the costs of acquiring clean or alternative fuel vehicle-related equipment or facilities; and (5) administrative costs in establishing or expanding services to provide commuters with information about alternatives to single occupancy vehicle use. 

Requires a grant that involves acquiring clean or alternative fuel vehicle-related equipment or facilities for complying with the Clean Air Act to be for 100% of the net project cost unless the grant recipient requests a lower percentage.

Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to require federal employees in urbanized areas served by fixed route public transportation to be offered transit pass transportation fringe benefits. Requires: (1) the Secretary to issue guidance on nationwide implementation of a transportation fringe benefit program; and (2) agencies to report on program implementation.

Requires the Secretary to establish a pilot program to carry out vanpool demonstration projects in not more than three urbanized areas and two other areas. 

Requires a grant for a capital project during FY2008-FY2009 that involves additional parking facilities at an end-of-line fixed guideway station or at a park-and-ride lot that serves a fixed route commuter bus route that is more than 20 miles in length to be for 100% of the net capital cost of the project unless the grant recipient requests a lower percentage.
 
Requires the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a national consumer awareness program on the environmental, energy, and economic benefits of public transportation alternatives to the use of single occupancy vehicles.
 
Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to allow a federal agency to enter into a contract to purchase a generally available fuel that is not an alternative or synthetic fuel or a fuel predominantly produced from a nonconventional petroleum source if: (1) the contract does not specifically require the contractor to provide such an alternative, synthetic, or nonconventional fuel; (2) the purpose of the contract is not to obtain such a fuel; and (3) the contract does not provide incentives for a refinery upgrade or expansion to allow a refinery to use or increase its use of fuel from a nonconventional petroleum source.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate