[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 308 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 308

To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve economic opportunity 
  and development in rural States through highway investment, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 22, 2009

Mr. Baucus (for himself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Thune, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Crapo, 
and Mr. Brownback) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
     and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve economic opportunity 
  and development in rural States through highway investment, 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 ``Rural Opportunity and Development 
Act'' or the ``ROAD Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that investment in highway preservation and 
improvement is essential to the economic development and well-being of 
rural areas.

SEC. 3. RURAL OPPORTUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 1 of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 149 the following:
``Sec. 150. Rural opportunity and development program
    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish and implement a 
rural opportunity and development program to promote opportunity and 
economic development in rural States by allocating funds to States for 
the preservation and improvement of highways.
    ``(b) State Allocations.--
            ``(1) In general.--Funds authorized to be appropriated for 
        the program established under subsection (a) shall be allocated 
        for each fiscal year among States in accordance with this 
        subsection.
            ``(2) State shares.--The Secretary shall determine the 
        number of shares to be allocated among eligible States by 
        assigning--
                    ``(A) 6 shares to each State with a population 
                density of 20 or fewer individuals per square mile of 
                land area;
                    ``(B) 3 shares to each State with a population 
                density of between 20 and 40 individuals per square 
                mile of land area;
                    ``(C) 1 share to each State with a population 
                density of between 40 and 70 individuals per square 
                mile of land area; and
                    ``(D) 1 share to each State that has more than 
                57,000 square miles of land area and a population 
                density of greater than 70 individuals per square mile 
                of land area.
            ``(3) Use of 2000 decennial census.--In determining the 
        population density of States under paragraph (2), the Secretary 
        shall use data contained in the 2000 decennial census.
            ``(4) Calculation of shares.--For each fiscal year, for 
        each share assigned to a State under paragraph (2), the 
        Secretary shall allocate to such State an amount equal to the 
        quotient obtained by dividing--
                    ``(A) $1,000,000,000; by
                    ``(B) the total number of shares assigned under 
                paragraph (2) for the fiscal year.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--Funds allocated to a State for the program 
established under subsection (a)--
            ``(1) may be used for any type of project eligible under 
        section 133;
            ``(2) are not subject to other provisions of section 133; 
        and
            ``(3) may not be expended on projects located within the 
        geographical boundaries of an area that has been identified or 
        designated as a transportation management area under section 
        134(k)(1).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 149 the following:

``150. Rural opportunity and development program.''.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    From amounts available in the Highway Trust Fund (other than the 
Mass Transit Account), there is authorized to be appropriated, for 
fiscal year 2010 and for each subsequent fiscal year, $1,000,000,000, 
which--
            (1) shall be used for the rural opportunity and development 
        program established under section 150 of title 23, United 
        States Code;
            (2) shall remain available until expended; and
            (3)(A) shall be available for obligation as if the funds 
        were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, United States 
        Code; but
            (B) shall not be subject to any limitation on obligations.
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