[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2258 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2258

     To amend title 23, United States Code, to reform the surface 
                transportation project delivery program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 9, 2015

   Mr. Hatch 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 reform the surface 
                transportation project delivery program.

    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 ``Surface Transportation Project 
Delivery Program Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROJECT DELIVERY PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT.

    (a) Written Agreement.--Section 327(c) of title 23, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting ``, and is solely 
        responsible and liable for carrying out those 
        responsibilities'' after ``subsection (a)''; and
            (2) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``reasonably'' before 
        ``considers necessary''.
    (b) Effect of Assumption of Responsibility.--Section 327(e) of 
title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``and without further approval of'' after 
        ``in lieu of''; and
            (2) by inserting ``(including the defense of any civil 
        action under subsection (d))'' after ``assumed under subsection 
        (a)(2)''.
    (c) Audits.--Section 327(g) of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``shall conduct'' and all 
        that follows through the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting 
        the following: ``shall--
                    ``(A) not later than 180 days after the date of 
                execution of an assignment agreement under this 
                section, meet with the State to review implementation 
                of the assignment agreement and discuss plans for the 
                first annual audit;
                    ``(B) conduct annual audits during each of the 
                first 4 years of State participation; and
                    ``(C) ensure that the time period for completing an 
                annual audit, from initiation to completion (including 
                public comment and responses to those comments), does 
                not exceed 180 days.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Audit team.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An audit conducted under 
                paragraph (1) shall be carried out by an audit team 
                determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the 
                State, in accordance with subparagraph (B).
                    ``(B) Consultation.--Consultation with the State 
                under subparagraph (A) shall include a reasonable 
                opportunity for the State to review and provide 
                comments on the proposed members of the audit team.
                    ``(C) State designation.--
                            ``(i) In general.--On request by the State, 
                        the audit team shall include not less than 1 
                        member designated by the State, in consultation 
                        with the Secretary.
                            ``(ii) Criteria.--A member designated by 
                        the State under clause (i) may be any person 
                        with relevant expertise and experience who is 
                        not an employee of the Secretary or of the 
                        State.''.
    (d) Capacity Building.--Section 327 of title 23, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Capacity Building.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the 
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 
shall carry out education, training, peer exchange, and other 
initiatives, as appropriate--
            ``(1) to assist States in developing the capacity to 
        participate in the assignment program under this section; and
            ``(2) to promote information sharing and collaboration 
        among States that are participating in the program.''.
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