[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3331 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3331

To establish an intermodal transportation infrastructure pilot program, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 15, 2023

  Mr. Warner (for himself and Mr. Sullivan) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish an intermodal transportation infrastructure pilot program, 
                        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 ``Alleviating Spaceport Traffic by 
Rewarding Operators Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PILOT 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may establish a pilot program to 
issue grants to operators of launch and reentry sites for projects to 
construct, repair, maintain, or improve transportation infrastructure 
and facilities at such sites.
    (b) Pilot Program Qualifications.--The Secretary may enter into 
agreements under this section to issue a grant to an operator only if 
the operator--
            (1) has submitted an application to the Secretary in such 
        form, at such time, and containing such information as 
        prescribed by the Secretary;
            (2) demonstrates to the Secretary's satisfaction that the 
        project for which the application has been submitted is for a 
        permitted use under subsection (c); and
            (3) agrees to maintain such records relating to the grant 
        as the Secretary may require and to make such records available 
        to the Secretary or the Comptroller General of the United 
        States upon request.
    (c) Permitted Use of Pilot Program Grants.--An operator may use a 
grant provided under this section for a project to construct, repair, 
maintain, or improve infrastructure and facilities that--
            (1) are located at, or adjacent to, a launch or reentry 
        site;
            (2) directly enable or support transportation safety or 
        covered transportation activities; and
            (3) shall be made generally available subject to reasonable 
        commercial and other terms as appropriate.
    (d) Pilot Program Grants.--
            (1) Grant formula.--Subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, at the beginning of each fiscal year after 
        fiscal year 2024, the Secretary may issue to an operator that 
        qualifies for the pilot program under subsection (b) a grant in 
        an amount equal to the sum of--
                    (A) $250,000 for each launch or reentry operation 
                under a license described in section 50905 of title 51, 
                United States Code, conducted from the applicable 
                launch or reentry site or at any adjacent Federal 
                launch range in the previous fiscal year; and
                    (B) $100,000 for each launch or reentry operation 
                conducted under a permit (as defined in section 50902 
                of title 51, United States Code) from the applicable 
                launch or reentry site or at any adjacent Federal 
                launch range in the previous fiscal year.
            (2) Maximum grant.--Except as provided in subsection 
        (e)(5), a grant issued to an operator under this subsection 
        shall not exceed $2,500,000 for a fiscal year.
            (3) Adjacency.--
                    (A) In general.--In issuing a grant to an operator 
                under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall determine 
                whether a launch or reentry site is adjacent to a 
                Federal launch range.
                    (B) Limitation.--In the event that more than 1 
                operator adjacent to a Federal launch range seeks 
                funding under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
                determine which operator receives the grant based on 
                criteria set forth in section 50901(b)(4) of title 51, 
                United States Code.
                    (C) Multiple launch or reentry sites operated by 1 
                operator.--If an operator holds a license to operate 
                more than 1 launch site or more than 1 reentry site 
                that are adjacent to a Federal launch range, the 
                Secretary shall consider such launch or reentry sites 
                as 1 launch or reentry site for purposes of 
                subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1).
    (e) Supplemental Grants in Support of State, Local, or Private 
Matching.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may issue a supplemental 
        grant to an operator, subject to the requirements of this 
        subsection.
            (2) Dollar-for-dollar matching.--If a qualified entity 
        provides an operator an amount equal to or greater than the 
        amount of a grant provided in a fiscal year under subsection 
        (d) (for the explicit purpose of matching such grant), the 
        Secretary may issue a supplemental grant to the operator that 
        is equal to 25 percent of such grant in the following fiscal 
        year.
            (3) Additional non-federal matching.--If a qualified entity 
        provides an operator an amount equal to or greater than 2 times 
        the amount of a grant provided in a fiscal year to the operator 
        under subsection (d) (for the explicit purpose of matching such 
        grant), the Secretary may issue a supplemental grant to the 
        operator that is equal to 50 percent of such grant in the 
        following fiscal year.
            (4) Supplemental grant limitations.--
                    (A) Match timing.--The Secretary may issue a 
                supplemental grant under paragraph (2) or (3) only if 
                an amount provided by a qualified entity is provided to 
                the operator in the same fiscal year as the grant 
                issued under subsection (d).
                    (B) Non-duplication of matching grants.--If the 
                Secretary issues a supplemental grant to the operator 
                of a launch site under paragraph (3), the Secretary may 
                not issue a supplemental grant under paragraph (2) to 
                the same operator in the same fiscal year.
            (5) Non-application of grant ceiling.--The limitation on a 
        grant amount under subsection (d)(2) shall not apply to 
        supplemental grants issued under this subsection.
    (f) Funding.--
            (1) Pilot program grant funds.--The grants issued under 
        this section shall be issued from funds made available out of 
        amounts available under section 106(k) of title 49, United 
        States Code.
            (2) Maximum annual limit on pilot program.--
                    (A) In general.--The total amount of all grants 
                issued under this section shall not exceed $20,000,000 
                in any fiscal year.
                    (B) Grant reduction.--In complying with 
                subparagraph (A), the Secretary--
                            (i) may proportionally reduce the amount 
                        of, or decline to issue, a supplemental grant 
                        under subsection (e); and
                            (ii) if the reduction under clause (i) is 
                        insufficient, shall proportionally reduce 
                        grants issued under subsection (d).
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered transportation activity.--The term ``covered 
        transportation activity'' means the movement of people or 
        property to, from, or within a launch site and the necessary or 
        incidental activities associated with such movement through the 
        use of--
                    (A) a vehicle (as defined in section 4 of title 1, 
                United States Code);
                    (B) a vessel (as defined in section 3 of title 1, 
                United States Code);
                    (C) a railroad (as defined in section 20102 of 
                title 49, United States Code);
                    (D) an aircraft (as defined in section 40102 of 
                title 49, United States Code); or
                    (E) a pipeline facility (as defined in section 
                60101 of title 49, United States Code).
            (2) Launch; launch site; launch vehicle; reentry site; 
        reentry vehicle.--The terms ``launch'', ``launch site'', 
        ``launch vehicle'', ``reentry site'', and ``reentry vehicle'' 
        have the meanings given those terms in section 50902 of title 
        51, United States Code.
            (3) Operator.--The term ``operator'' means a person 
        licensed by the Secretary to operate a launch or reentry site.
            (4) Qualified entity.--The term ``qualified entity'' means 
        a State, local, territorial, or Tribal government or private 
        sector entity, or any combination thereof.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
    (h) Pilot Program Sunset.--This section shall cease to be effective 
on October 1, 2028.
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