[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2163 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2163

To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants for certain 
              streetcar projects, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 29, 2009

Mr. Blumenauer (for himself, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, 
  and Mr. Klein of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants for certain 
              streetcar projects, 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 ``Fast Starts Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Communities around the United States have expended time 
        and resources to utilize the Small Starts program under section 
        5309(e) of title 49, United States Code, for streetcar 
        projects.
            (2) A delay in authorizing grants under the Small Starts 
        program has created a backlog of streetcar projects requiring 
        attention outside of that program.
            (3) Streetcar projects create jobs during both their 
        construction and operation throughout the corridor in which the 
        projects are developed.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR CERTAIN STREETCAR PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation is authorized to 
make grants to States and local governmental authorities to assist the 
financing of streetcar projects in accordance with this section.
    (b) Eligible Projects.--To be eligible for a grant under subsection 
(a), the State or local governmental authority applying for a grant 
shall submit to the Secretary, not later than March 1, 2010, an 
application certifying that the streetcar project to be assisted by 
such grant--
            (1) is supported by an acceptable degree of local financial 
        commitment;
            (2) has met the environmental requirements necessary to 
        begin construction; and
            (3) is a project with respect to which construction can 
        begin not later than March 1, 2012.
    (c) Selection Criteria.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may make a grant under 
        subsection (a) with respect to a streetcar project only if the 
        Secretary finds that the project is--
                    (A) based on the results of planning and 
                alternatives analysis;
                    (B) justified based on a review of its effect on 
                local economic development, land use, travel patterns, 
                and greenhouse gas reduction potential; and
                    (C) supported by an acceptable degree of local 
                financial commitment.
            (2) Planning and alternatives.--In evaluating a project 
        under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall analyze and 
        consider the results of planning and alternatives analysis for 
        the project. For purposes of this paragraph, the Secretary 
        shall compare the project to a no build analysis to consider 
        project outcomes.
            (3) Project justification.--For purposes of making the 
        finding under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall determine--
                    (A) the degree to which the project will have a 
                positive effect on local economic development;
                    (B) the reduction in per capita auto travel demand 
                that will result from the completed project, including 
                related development, travel pattern, and land use 
                changes; and
                    (C) the reduction in per capita greenhouse gas 
                emissions that will result from the completed project, 
                including related development, travel pattern, and land 
                use changes.
            (4) Local financial commitment.--For purposes of paragraph 
        (1)(C), the Secretary shall require that each proposed local 
        source of capital and operating financing is stable, reliable, 
        and available within the timetable of the project.
    (d) Amount Limitation.--With respect to a streetcar project for 
which a grant is made under subsection (a), the sum of the amounts of 
grants made under subsection (a) to assist such project may not exceed 
$60,000,000.
    (e) Relationship to Other Funding.--A streetcar project for which a 
grant is made under subsection (a) is not prohibited from receiving 
assistance under any other Federal program.
    (f) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of a streetcar 
project, or portion of a streetcar project, for which a grant is made 
under subsection (a) shall be 100 percent.
    (g) Streetcar Project Defined.--In this section, the term 
``streetcar project'' means a new fixed guideway capital project that 
is electricity and rail based.
    (h) Other Definitions.--In this section, the definitions contained 
in sections 5302 and 5309 of title 49, United States Code, apply.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $400,000,000 for fiscal year 
2010.
    (j) Availability of Amounts.--Amounts made available to carry out 
this section shall remain available until expended.
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