[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7192 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7192

  To amend chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, to establish a 
  program to provide public transportation agencies with grants to be 
                  used during a disaster declaration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2020

Ms. Velazquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, to establish a 
  program to provide public transportation agencies with grants to be 
                  used during a disaster declaration.

    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 ``Transit Reliability, Acknowledgment, 
Investment and Need Act of 2020'' or the ``TRAIN Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS FUNDING PUBLIC 
              TRANSPORTATION DURING MAJOR DISASTERS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 5341. Emergency and continuity of operations during disaster 
              declarations
    ``(a) Establishment of Grant Program.--The Secretary of 
Transportation shall establish a program to provide public 
transportation agencies with grants to be used during a State disaster 
declaration.
    ``(b) Criteria for Eligible Agencies.--A public transportation 
agency is eligible to participate in the program if the agency--
            ``(1) at the time of application, receives funds (or 
        eligible for such funds) under the surface transportation block 
        grant program under section 133 of title 23;
            ``(2) for each of the 3 years before the date of 
        application, has received funding (or eligible for such funds) 
        for a public transportation project under this chapter; and
            ``(3) submits an application as described in subsection 
        (c).
    ``(c) Application.--In accordance with such requirements as the 
Secretary may by rule establish, each application for a grant under 
this section shall--
            ``(1) include a strategy and detailed implementation plan 
        that reflects consultation with community groups and 
        appropriate stakeholders, and shall specify how the transit 
        agency will continue operations during a disaster declaration;
            ``(2) assess the public transportation agency's ability to 
        operate during a disaster declaration;
            ``(3) identify how the grant will ensure continuity of 
        public transportation services and meet applicable safety and 
        health standards requirements under subsection (i) during such 
        disaster declaration;
            ``(4) demonstrate the agency's plan to provide no-cost 
        transportation for general transportation service, premium 
        transportation service, and paratransit services during the 
        time period under which such disaster declaration;
            ``(5) include the total of revenue losses as of the date of 
        application caused by the disaster declaration and a projection 
        of such future losses anticipated during the course of such 
        disaster declaration and shall include an analysis and 
        description of such revenue losses following the 6-month period 
        following the expected termination of such disaster 
        declaration;
            ``(6) describe the mechanisms to be employed by the public 
        transportation agency to protect employees from exposure to the 
        conditions generating the disaster declaration;
            ``(7) provide a list of protocol and supplies that will be 
        used to clean and disinfect surfaces impacted by the events 
        generating the disaster declaration;
            ``(8) include a list of protective gear to be used by 
        public transit employees that will reduce employee exposure to 
        the conditions generating the disaster declaration;
            ``(9) identify related governmental and community 
        initiatives which compliment or will be coordinated with the 
        proposal;
            ``(10) certify that there has been appropriate coordination 
        with all appropriate agencies; and
            ``(11) additional information as required by the Secretary.
    ``(d) Forms of Assistance.--Funds provided under this section may 
be expended for--
            ``(1) providing continued services during the pandemic or 
        disaster declaration, consistent with the requirements under 
        subsection (i);
            ``(2) stabilization of fare prices for passengers during 
        the period of such disaster declaration;
            ``(3) no-cost public transportation services during such 
        disaster declaration;
            ``(4) provision of new or supplemental public 
        transportation service bus routes, or bus rapid systems; and
            ``(5) procurement of personal protective gear and equipment 
        needed to protect employees from hazards generated or 
        originating from the disaster declaration.
    ``(e) Special Rule on Expenditures and Minimum Requirement for 
Eligibility of Funds.--A public transportation agency receiving grant 
funds under this section shall provide assistance to the general public 
under subsection (d)(3) and (d)(4) during the disaster declaration 
period and, subsequently, for a period of 6 months after the 
termination of such disaster declaration.
    ``(f) Grant Requirements.--
            ``(1) Amount.--A grant awarded under this section may not 
        exceed $5,000,000,000.
            ``(2) Renewals of certain grants.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A grant may be renewed during 
                the disaster declaration period, provided the public 
                transportation agency--
                            ``(i) submits to the Secretary an 
                        application for renewal at such time, in such 
                        manner, and containing such information as the 
                        Secretary may require; and
                            ``(ii) demonstrates in such application for 
                        renewal that--
                                    ``(I) the initial grant was used in 
                                a manner required under the most 
                                recently approved application; and
                                    ``(II) the public transportation 
                                agency has made progress in achieving 
                                the objectives of the initial 
                                application approved for the public 
                                transportation agency under this 
                                section.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out this section $50,000,000,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 2020 and 2021.
            ``(2) Availability.--Funds authorized to be appropriated 
        under this section shall remain available until expended.
    ``(h) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to limit a project from receiving a grant under this section 
while simultaneously receiving funds for associated transit improvement 
or capital projects.
    ``(i) Required Certification of Safety and Health Protocol.--A 
public transportation agency shall certify with the Secretary every 7 
days that any use of funds under subsection (d) meet applicable health 
and safety standards and guidance by the Centers for Disease Control 
issued during the disaster declaration for passengers and employees of 
the public transportation agency that includes a description of the 
compliance mechanisms employed by such agency.
    ``(j) Annual Reports.--A public transportation agency that receives 
funds under this section during a fiscal year shall submit to the 
Secretary a description and an evaluation report on a date specified by 
the Secretary regarding the progress such projects have made to make 
transportation access points accessible to persons with limited 
mobility.
    ``(k) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Disaster declaration.--The term `disaster 
        declaration' means--
                    ``(A) an emergency involving Federal primary 
                responsibility determined to exist by the President 
                under section 501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
                Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
                5191(b));
                    ``(B) a national emergency declared by the 
                President under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 
                1601 et seq.);
                    ``(C) an emergency declared by a Federal official 
                with respect to coronavirus (as defined in section 506 
                of the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response 
                Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-
                123)); or
                    ``(D) a public health emergency declared by the 
                Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to 
                section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
                247(d)) with respect to COVID-19 or any other 
                coronavirus with pandemic potential.
            ``(2) General transportation service.--The term `general 
        transportation service' means a transportation service that is 
        subject to the same base fare established by the transportation 
        agency for local or general service.
            ``(3) Premium transportation service.--The term `premium 
        transportation service' means a transportation service that is 
        not a general transportation service.
            ``(4) Paratransit services.--The term `paratransit 
        services' means service to individuals with disabilities that 
        is comparable to the level of service provided to individuals 
        without disabilities who use routes operated by the public 
        transportation agency.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of chapters for chapter 53 of 
subtitle III of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
after the item relating to section 5340 the following new item:

``5341. Emergency and continuity of operations during disaster 
                            declarations.''.

SEC. 3. RULEMAKING.

    Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register interim final rules 
implementing this title, which shall allow eligible public 
transportation agencies to immediately apply for funds under section 
5341 of title 49, United States Code (as added by section 2). 
Notwithstanding section 553 of title 5, United States Code, the 
regulation shall be effective, on an interim basis, immediately upon 
publication, but may be subject to change and revision after public 
notice and opportunity for a period of public comment. The Secretary 
shall finalize such rules not later than 90 days after the date of 
publication.
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