[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1780 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1780

    To amend the Clean Air Act to achieve greenhouse gas emissions 
             reductions through transportation efficiency.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 30, 2009

  Ms. Matsui introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Clean Air Act to achieve greenhouse gas emissions 
             reductions through transportation efficiency.

    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 ``Smart Planning for Smart Growth Act 
of 2009''.

SEC. 2. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS THROUGH TRANSPORTATION 
              EFFICIENCY.

    Title I of the Clean Air Act is amended by inserting after section 
179B (42 U.S.C. 7509a) the following:

``SEC. 179C. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS THROUGH TRANSPORTATION 
              EFFICIENCY.

    ``(a) In General.--Each State shall--
            ``(1) not later than 3 years after the date of the 
        enactment of this section, submit to the Administrator goals 
        for transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions reductions; 
        and
            ``(2) as part of each transportation plan or transportation 
        improvement plan developed under title 23 or title 49, United 
        States Code, ensure that a plan to achieve such goals, or an 
        updated version of such a plan, is submitted to the 
        Administrator and to the Secretary of Transportation (in this 
        section referred to as the `Secretary') by each metropolitan 
        planning organization in the State for an area with a 
        population exceeding 200,000.
    ``(b) Models and Methodologies.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall promulgate 
        regulations to establish standardized models and methodologies 
        for use in developing goals, plans, and strategies under this 
        section. Such regulations may approve or improve existing 
        models and methodologies.
            ``(2) Timing.--The Administrator shall--
                    ``(A) publish proposed regulations under paragraph 
                (1) not later than 1 year after the date of the 
                enactment of this section; and
                    ``(B) promulgate final regulations under paragraph 
                (1) not later than 2 years after such date of 
                enactment.
    ``(c) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals.--
            ``(1) Consultation.--Each State shall develop the goals 
        referred to in subsection (a)(1)--
                    ``(A) in concurrence with State agencies 
                responsible for air quality and transportation;
                    ``(B) in consultation with each metropolitan 
                planning organization for an area in the State with a 
                population exceeding 200,000 and applicable local air 
                quality and transportation agencies; and
                    ``(C) with public involvement, including public 
                comment periods and meetings.
            ``(2) Period.--The goals referred to in subsection (a)(1) 
        shall be for 10- and 20-year periods.
            ``(3) Targets; designated year.--The goals referred to in 
        subsection (a)(1) shall establish targets to reduce mobile 
        source greenhouse gas emissions in the covered area from levels 
        projected under a business-as-usual scenario. The targets shall 
        be designed to ensure that the levels of such emissions 
        stabilize and decrease after a designated year. The State shall 
        consider designating 2010 as such designated year.
            ``(4) Covered area.--The goals referred to in subsection 
        (a)(1) shall be established--
                    ``(A) on a statewide basis; and
                    ``(B) for each metropolitan planning organization 
                in the State for an area with a population exceeding 
                200,000.
            ``(5) Revised goals.--Every 4 years, each State shall 
        update and revise, as appropriate, the goals referred to in 
        subsection (a)(1).
    ``(d) Planning.--A plan referred to in subsection (a)(2) shall--
            ``(1) be based upon the models and methodologies 
        established by the Administrator under subsection (b);
            ``(2) address mobile sources, economic development, and 
        scenario analysis; and
            ``(3) be developed--
                    ``(A) with public involvement, including public 
                comment periods and meetings;
                    ``(B) with regional coordination, including with 
                respect to--
                            ``(i) metropolitan planning organizations;
                            ``(ii) the localities comprising the 
                        metropolitan planning organization;
                            ``(iii) the State in which the metropolitan 
                        planning organization is located; and
                            ``(iv) air quality and transportation 
                        agencies for the State and region involved; and
                    ``(C) in consultation with the State and local 
                housing, public health, economic development, land use, 
                environment, and public transportation agencies.
    ``(e) Strategies.--In developing goals under subsection (a)(1) and 
a plan under subsection (a)(2), the State or metropolitan planning 
organization, as applicable, shall consider transportation and land use 
planning strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including the 
following:
            ``(1) Efforts to increase public transportation, including 
        commuter rail service and ridership, by adding at a minimum--
                    ``(A) new public transportation systems, including 
                new commuter rail systems;
                    ``(B) employer-based subsidies; and
                    ``(C) cleaner locomotive technologies.
            ``(2) Updates to zoning and other land use regulations and 
        plans to support development that--
                    ``(A) coordinates transportation and land use 
                planning;
                    ``(B) focuses future growth close to existing and 
                planned job centers and public facilities;
                    ``(C) uses existing infrastructure;
                    ``(D) promotes walking, bicycling, and public 
                transportation use; and
                    ``(E) mixes land uses such as housing, retail, and 
                schools.
            ``(3) Implementation of a policy (referred to as a 
        `complete streets policy') that--
                    ``(A) ensures adequate accommodation of all users 
                of transportation systems, including pedestrians, 
                bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, 
                children, the elderly, and individuals with 
                disabilities; and
                    ``(B) adequately addresses the safety and 
                convenience of all users of the transportation system.
            ``(4) Construction of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure 
        facilities.
            ``(5) Projects to promote telecommuting, flexible work 
        schedules, or satellite work centers.
            ``(6) Pricing measures such as congestion pricing.
            ``(7) Intermodal freight system strategies, including 
        enhanced rail services, short sea shipping, and other 
        strategies.
            ``(8) Parking policies.
            ``(9) Travel demand management projects.
            ``(10) Restriction of the use of certain roads, or lanes, 
        by vehicles other than passenger buses and high-occupancy 
        vehicles.
            ``(11) Reduction of vehicle idling, including idling 
        associated with freight management, construction, 
        transportation, and commuter operations.
            ``(12) Policies to encourage the use of retrofit 
        technologies and early replacement of vehicles, engines and 
        equipment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing 
        mobile sources.
            ``(13) Other projects that the Administrator finds reduce 
        greenhouse gas emissions from mobile sources.
    ``(f) Public Availability.--The Administrator shall publish, 
including by posting on the Environmental Protection Agency's website--
            ``(1) the goals and plans submitted under subsection (a); 
        and
            ``(2) for each plan submitted under subsection (a)(2), an 
        analysis of the anticipated effects of the plan on greenhouse 
        gas emissions and oil consumption.
    ``(g) Enforcement.--If the Administrator finds that a State has 
failed to submit goals under subsection (a)(1), or to ensure the 
submission of a plan under subsection (a)(2), for any area in the State 
(irrespective of whether the area is a nonattainment area), the 
Administrator may impose a prohibition in accordance with section 
179(b)(1) applicable to the area. The Administrator may not impose a 
prohibition under the preceding sentence, and no action may be brought 
by the Administrator or any other entity alleging a violation of this 
section, based on the content or adequacy of a goal or plan submitted 
under subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2).
    ``(h) Competitive Grants.--
            ``(1) Grants.--The Administrator, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Transportation, may award grants on a competitive 
        basis to metropolitan planning organizations to develop or 
        implement plans submitted under subsection (a)(2) or elements 
        thereof.
            ``(2) Priority.--In making grants under paragraph (1), the 
        Administrator shall give priority to applicants based upon--
                    ``(A) the amount of greenhouse gas emissions to be 
                reduced on a total or per capita basis, as determined 
                by the Administrator in consultation with the Secretary 
                of Transportation; and
                    ``(B) such other factors as the Administrator 
                determines appropriate.
            ``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out this 
        subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
        as may be necessary.
    ``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `metropolitan planning organization' means a 
        metropolitan planning organization, as such term is used in 
        section 176 of the Clean Air Act.
            ``(2) The term `scenario analysis' means an analysis that 
        is conducted by identifying different trends and making 
        projections based on those trends to develop a range of 
        scenarios and estimates of how each scenario could improve 
        access to goods and services, including access to employment, 
        education, and health care (especially for elderly and 
        economically disadvantaged communities), and could affect rates 
        of--
                    ``(A) vehicle miles traveled;
                    ``(B) use of mobile source fuel by type, including 
                electricity; and
                    ``(C) greenhouse gas emissions from the mobile 
                source sector.
    ``(j) Land Use Authority.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
to--
            ``(1) infringe upon the existing authority of State or 
        local governments to plan or control land use, or
            ``(2) provide or transfer authority over land use to any 
        other entity.''.
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