lcalvobartolome/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2011-05-05 00:00:00

Safe Treatment of Polluted Stormwater Runoff Act or STOPS Runoff Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to establish a federal-aid highway runoff pollution avoidance and management program to ensure that covered federal-aid highway projects are sited, constructed, and maintained in accordance with certain design standards to control and treat polluted stormwater runoff from federal-aid highways. Authorizes the Secretary to approve state covered highway projects receiving federal funding only if the state provides assurances that it will site, design, and construct the project in accordance with such standards.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-05-09 00:00:00

Surface Transportation Safety Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to modify certain federal regulations to: (1) allow fire services personnel to wear high visibility apparel meeting certain requirements, and (2) ensure that positive protective measures (including temporary longitudinal traffic barriers) are used to separate workers on highway construction projects from motorized traffic. Directs the Secretary to approve the use of federal-aid highway funds by a state for patented or proprietary items that further the goals of state strategic highway safety plans. Directs the Secretary to revise the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices to include a standard for a minimum level of retroreflectivity for pavement markings on all public roads. Revises requirements for the highway safety improvement program to count installation, replacement, and upgrade of highway signs and pavement markings as a highway safety improvement project. Authorizes: (1) states to obligate highway safety improvement program funds apportioned to them for projects to maintain minimum levels of retroreflectivity in highway signs or pavement markings on public roads, regardless of whether such projects are included in state plans; and (2) a federal share of costs of 100% for such projects. Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a program to improve traffic signs and pavement markings for older drivers and pedestrians in all states; (2) review the safety of all highway-rail grade crossings in the United States and, based on such review, compile a list of the ten highway-rail grade crossings having the greatest need for safety improvements; (3) establish a national database of information on the safety of highway-rail grade crossings in the United States; and (4) allocate $20 million to each state with a population density of less than 20 persons per square mile for FY2012 and each subsequent fiscal year for rural highway safety improvement projects.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-05-11 00:00:00

Repeals the prohibition against state use of toll revenues as a credit toward the non-federal state matching share requirement for Appalachian development highway projects (thus allowing a state to use such revenues as a non-federal share match for such Appalachian highway projects).
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-05-19 00:00:00

Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 to include U.S. Route 83 from U.S. Route 281 to U.S. Route 77 as part of the high priority Lower Rio Grande Valley Corridor of the National Highway System in Texas. Declares that the requirement of connection to an existing Interstate System segment shall not apply to segments of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Corridor or to the U.S. Route 59 Corridor from Laredo through Houston to near Texarkana, Texas.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-05-24 00:00:00

Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 - Requires each state to have in effect within two years a law, or each state department of transportation and metropolitan planning organization (MPO) an explicit policy statement, that requires all federal-aid highway projects, with certain exceptions, to accommodate the safety and convenience of all users in accordance with certain complete streets principles. Defines "complete streets principles" as federal, state, local, or regional level transportation laws, policies, or principles which ensure that the safety and convenience of all users of a transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit users, children, older individuals, motorists, freight vehicles, and individuals with disabilities, are accommodated in all phases of project planning and development. Allows such law or policy to make project-specific exemptions from such principles, subject to proper approval, only if affected roadways prohibit specified users by law from using them, the cost of a compliance project would be excessively disproportionate to the need, or the population and employment densities, traffic volumes, or level of transit service around a roadway is so low that the expected roadway users will not include pedestrians, public transportation, freight vehicles, or bicyclists. Revises federal-aid highway project standards to require the Secretary of Transportation to ensure that project plans provide for highway facilities that are consistent with the complete street principles. Requires the construction design for a highway on the National Highway System to take into account certain criteria, including the need to balance design speed, right-of-way needs, and community livability. Directs the Secretary (who currently is merely authorized) to develop criteria for such design. Requires the Secretary also, in developing such criteria, to consider roadway design guidelines issued jointly by Congress for the New Urbanism and the Institute of Transportation Engineers in developing such criteria. Requires the Secretary to establish a method for ensuring compliance by state departments of transportation and MPOs with complete streets principles. Requires the Access Board to issue final standards for accessibility of new construction and alterations of pedestrian facilities for public rights-of-way. Requires the Secretary to conduct research regarding complete streets to: (1) assist states, MPOs, and local jurisdictions in developing and implementing complete streets-compliant plans, projects, procedures, policies, and training programs; and (2) establish benchmarks for, and provide technical guidance on, implementing complete streets policies and principles.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-05-26 00:00:00

Project Delivery Improvement Act of 2011 - Authorizes a state to select without competitive bidding or the approval of the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) one or more proprietary, patented, or experimental products for use in a federal-aid highway project. Declares that state use of such products shall not affect the eligibility of the state or highway project to receive federal funding. Repeals certain parkland preservation requirements prohibiting the Secretary from approving a transportation program or project requiring the use of public park lands unless there is no feasible alternative to the use of such land. Makes the lead agency responsible for determining the purpose of and need for a project. Decreases from 180 days to 90 days after publication in the Federal Register of a notice that a permit, license, or approval for a highway or public transportation capital project is final the deadline for filing a claim seeking judicial review of the permit, license, or approval. Places the burden of proof of the claim on the claimant. Authorizes a state to designate a highway project as a categorical exclusion (that does not involve significant environmental impact). Revises U.S. policy on public lands and wildlife and waterfowl refuges to exclude historic sites. Authorizes the Secretary to approve a transportation program or project (other than a park road or parkway project) requiring the use of a park, recreation area, or wildlife and waterfowl refuge only if the Governor of the state (or mayor or chief executive of the city, county, or borough with management responsibility for or ownership of the area) agrees that such project is the preferred alternative.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-05-26 00:00:00

Safe Highway Markings Act of 2011 - Prescribes standards for glass beads used in pavement markings, limiting the arsenic or lead content to 200 parts per million. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to withhold up to 5% of the apportionment of federal-aid highway funds for any state that fails to enforce requirements to ensure that glass beads used in pavement markings on or along federal-aid highway roads or highways do not contain more than 200 parts per million arsenic or lead.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-06-13 00:00:00

Jason's Law - Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to direct the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), with respect to the pilot program to allocate funds to states, metropolitan planning organizations, and local governments, to establish long-term parking facilities for commercial motor vehicles (trucks) on the National Highway System. Requires applications to incorporate one or more specified factors, such as: (1) addressing a safety need through development of additional truck parking capacity for use in hours-of-service compliance, and (2) reducing congestion and improving air quality mitigation. Directs the Secretary to conduct a survey annually: (1) regarding the capacity of each state to provide adequate parking and rest facilities for trucks, and (2) assessing the volume of truck traffic through the state and developing a metrics system to measure the adequacy of the state's parking facilities.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-06-14 00:00:00

Federal-Aid Highway Preservation and Renewal Program Act of 2011 - Replaces the current Interstate (Highway System) maintenance program with a new surface transportation infrastructure preservation and renewal program. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish such a program to: (1) establish national priorities and goals for bringing federal-aid highways and federal-aid and non-federal-aid bridges into a state of good repair, (2) focus federal investment on preserving and improving roadway and bridge conditions, and (3) strengthen the connection between the use by a state of federal surface transportation funding. Authorizes a state to use apportioned program funds for eligible highway infrastructure improvement projects and costs. Requires a state to give priority to eligible projects that help meet certain state of good repair performance standards and targets for the National Highway System (NHS). Requires a state to: (1) develop an asset management process to support the development of system preservation and renewal plans for each class of infrastructure on NHS and federal-aid highways, and (2) develop and update such plans biennially for approval by the Secretary. Requires each state to develop a safe streets policy that ensures that the safety and convenience of all users of a transportation system are accommodated in all phases of project planning and development.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Animals
Date: 2011-06-27 00:00:00

Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2011 - Prohibits a person from transporting a horse in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle (except a vehicle operated exclusively on rail or rails) containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another. Sets forth civil penalties for persons who knowingly violate such prohibition.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-06-30 00:00:00

Idaho Efficient Vehicle Demonstration Act of 2011 - Prohibits any reduction of the apportionment of federal-aid highway funds to Idaho if: (1) it permits a commercial combination vehicle weighing between 105,500 and 129,000 pounds to operate on specified routes of the Interstate System within the state; (2) such vehicle does not exceed state weight limits for operation on state highways; and (3) the vehicle is limited to travel only on certain portions of Interstate Routes 15, 84, and 86. (Under current law, the federal-aid highway funds of a state shall be reduced if it permits a commercial combination vehicle with a weight in excess of federal weight limits to operate on Interstate System highways within the state.)
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-07-18 00:00:00

Appalachian Development Highway System Act of 2011 - Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2012-FY2017 for the Appalachian development highway system program. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to apportion such funds among the appropriate states to complete construction of the Appalachian development highway system. Requires amounts made available to a state that remain unobligated five years later to be returned to the Secretary and reallocated among the remaining states. Authorizes states of the system to loan apportioned amounts between themselves.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2011-07-20 00:00:00

Exempts from environmental review under named federal environmental laws the reconstruction process of any road, highway, or bridge that has been damaged by a natural disaster (including flood) and reconstructed in the same location.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-07-27 00:00:00

Students Taking Action for Road Safety Act of 2011 or STARS Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a teen traffic safety grant program to award formula grants to states to implement statewide programs to improve the traffic safety of teen drivers. Authorizes a state to use grant funds to implement such statewide program to improve the traffic safety of teen drivers, including activities to support peer-to-peer education and prevention strategies in schools and communities to increase safety belt use and reduce speeding, impaired and distracted driving, underage drinking, and other destructive teen driver decisions that lead to injuries and fatalities. Authorizes the Secretary to contract with a national, nonprofit organization to establish a technical assistance center to provide training and technical assistance to state and local officials, student leaders, school advisors, and other entities associated with the grant program. Authorizes the center to operate a national teen traffic safety clearinghouse. Directs the Secretary to establish the National Teen Driver Advisory Council to study and develop an education and prevention strategy to reduce teen driver injuries and fatalities.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2011-07-28 00:00:00

Transportation and Regional Infrastructure Project Bonds Act of 2011 or TRIP Bonds Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax credit for any TRIP bond issued by a state infrastructure bank as part of an issue, if 100% of the available project proceeds from such issue are to be used for expenditures incurred for one or more qualified projects. Requires proceeds from the sale of bonds issued under this Act to be held in a TRIP Bonds Trust Account. Defines "qualified project" as the capital improvements to any transportation infrastructure project (including roads, bridges, rail and transit systems, ports, and inland waterways) proposed and approved by a state infrastructure bank. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend certain customs fees for the processing of merchandise entered into the United States through specified dates in 2048.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-07-29 00:00:00

Commercial Truck Safety Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a program to improve commercial motor vehicle safety on Interstate System (IS) highways. Directs the Secretary to initiate a rulemaking to establish a demonstration program under which a state governor may request from the Secretary a three-year waiver for covered trucks (six-axle trucks with a maximum gross weight of up to 100,000 pounds) to operate on the state's IS highways. Requires a state, as a condition for receiving a waiver, to: (1) collect data on the waiver's effects, particularly on accident rates involving heavier trucks; and (2) establish a safety committee to review such data.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-08-02 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to promulgate a rule to: (1) improve the daytime and nighttime visibility of agricultural equipment operating on public roads, and (2) establish minimum lighting and marking standards for such equipment. Requires the Secretary to review and revise such standards at least once every five years to reflect the latest revision of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Standard 279 entitled "Lighting and Marking of Agricultural Equipment on Highways."
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-09-08 00:00:00

Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012 - Title I: Federal-Aid Highways - (Sec. 101) Continues through January 31, 2012 (Part-Year Funding Date), and authorizes appropriations through that date for, specified federal-aid highway programs under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. Includes among extended funds those for: (1) the surface transportation research, development, and deployment program; (2) training and education; (3) the Bureau of Transportation Statistics; (4) university transportation research; and (5) intelligent transportation systems (ITS) research. Subjects funding for such programs generally to the same manner of distribution, administration, limitation, and availability for obligation, and in the same proportional amounts, as funds authorized to be appropriated for such programs and activities out of the Highway Trust Fund for FY2011. Subjects contract authority, however, between October 1, 2011, and January 31, 2012, to a specified pro rata limitation on obligations included in any Act making appropriations for FY2012 or a portion of that fiscal year. Waives this obligation limitation, though, for emergency relief and for the equity bonus program. (Sec. 102) Authorizes the appropriation of a pro rata amount of $422.425 million from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) for administrative expenses of the federal-aid highway program for the period from October 1, 2011, through the Part-Year Funding Date. Title II: Additional Programs - (Sec. 201) Amends the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to continue for the same period of time the authorized distribution of funds under such Act for coastal wetlands, recreational boating safety, projects under the Clean Vessel Act of 19921, boating infrastructure projects, and the National Outreach and Communications Program. Title III: Rescission - (Sec. 301) Rescinds permanently on September 1, 2012, $3.13 billion of the unobligated balances of funds apportioned before that date to each state under the federal-aid highway program. Exempts from such rescission certain funds distributed for: (1) the elimination of hazards of railway-highway crossings, (2) the highway safety improvement program, (3) safety incentives to prevent drunk driving, and (4) a specified division of apportionment of funds between urbanized areas of over 200,000 population and other areas. Requires the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to allow each state to determine the amount of the required rescission to be drawn from the programs to which the rescission applies.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-11-03 00:00:00

Includes as an eligible project under specified federal-aid highway programs the installation of plug-in electric drive vehicle charging infrastructure at fringe and corridor parking facilities.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-11-07 00:00:00

Amends the federal-aid highway program to modify the minimum penalties states are required to impose on motorists convicted multiple times for driving while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol. Requires repeat offenders to have: (1) all their driving privileges suspended (currently, a driver's license suspension) for at least one year; or (2) a combination of suspension of unlimited driving privileges for one year, allowing for reinstatement of limited driving privileges, subject to restrictions and limited exemptions as established under state law, if an ignition interlock device is installed for at least one year on each of the motor vehicles they own or operate. Eliminates the current alternative of a combination of suspension of all driving privileges for the first 45 days of the suspension period followed by a reinstatement of limited driving privileges for the purpose of getting to and from work, school, or an alcohol treatment program if an ignition interlock device is installed on each of the motor vehicles owned or operated, or both, by the individual.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-12-01 00:00:00

Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to require states to install broadband conduits (conduits for fiber optic cables that support broadband or wireless facilities for broadband service) in certain highway construction projects. Requires the Secretary to ensure that any requesting broadband provider has access to such installed broadband conduit on a competitively neutral and nondiscriminatory basis, for a charge not to exceed a cost-based rate.
Topic: Transportation — Highways
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2011-12-16 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to prescribe regulations requiring each motor carrier owning or leasing at least one motorcoach transporting passengers subject to DOT jurisdiction to display prominently in each motorcoach an understandable letter grade rating system allowing motorcoach passengers to compare the safety performance of motorcoach operators. Requires that such regulations also require motor carriers and any person selling motorcoach tickets to display the rating system in all announcements, advertisements, and points of sale for such motorcoach services and operations. Defines "motorcoach" as the term "over-the-road bus" is defined under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, except that "motorcoach": (1) includes a motor vehicle used to transport passengers that has a gross vehicle weight of at least 10,001 pounds, and (2) excludes a bus used in public transportation that is provided by a state or local government or a school bus.