I 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5976 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 20, 2012 Ms. Waters (for herself, Ms. Richardson, Ms. Bass of California, Ms. Hahn, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Filner, Mr. Carnahan, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Clarke of Michigan, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Rush, Mr. Clay, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Kucinich, Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Ms. Pingree of Maine, Mr. Rangel, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Mr. Towns, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Slaughter, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Baca, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Michaud, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, and Ms. Matsui) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2012 for the TIGER Discretionary Grant program, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the TIGER Grants for Job Creation Act.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The economy is struggling to recover from the recession. The unemployment rate has remained above 8 percent nationally for 40 straight months and is even higher in minority communities and in many areas of the country. (2)The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure estimated that there is a $549,500,000,000 shortfall in investments in roads and bridges and an additional $190,100,000,000 shortfall in investments in transit. (3)TIGER, formally known as the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program, is a nationwide competitive grant program that creates jobs by funding investments in transportation infrastructure by States, local governments, and transit agencies. (4)TIGER funds projects that will have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a region. (5)In distributing grants under TIGER, the Secretary of Transportation is required to ensure an equitable geographic distribution of funds, a balance in addressing the needs of urban and rural areas, and investments in a variety of modes of transportation. (6)TIGER received an appropriation of $500,000,000 in fiscal year 2012. (7)Current appropriations for TIGER are not sufficient to address the need for investments in transportation infrastructure in communities throughout the United States as the amounts only fund a small fraction of the transportation infrastructure projects for which TIGER grant applications have been received. (8)The President requested an appropriation of $500,000,000 for TIGER in fiscal year 2013. (9)An appropriation of $500,000,000 for TIGER to be made available in fiscal year 2013 and an additional appropriation of $500,000,000 to be made available in fiscal year 2014 will allow States, local governments, and transit agencies throughout the United States to improve transportation infrastructure while creating jobs. (10)Emergency supplemental appropriations for TIGER totaling $1,000,000,000 to be made available in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 will allow the Secretary of Transportation immediately to begin to organize new competitions for TIGER grants and allow States, local governments, and transit agencies to prepare grant applications, thus ensuring an efficient use of funds and timely job creation.

3.

Supplemental appropriations for TIGER discretionary grant program

The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for fiscal year 2012:

Department of Transportation

Office of the Secretary

National Infrastructure Investments

For an additional amount for National Infrastructure Investments in accordance with the provisions under this heading in title I of division C of Public Law 112–55, $1,000,000,000, of which $500,000,000 shall become available on October 1, 2012, and $500,000,000 shall become available on October 1, 2013: Provided, That the amount under this heading shall remain available until September 30, 2014: Provided further, That the amount under this heading is designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, except that such amount shall be available only if the President subsequently so designates such amount and transmits such designation to the Congress.