[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 118 (Sunday, July 26, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S5738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2409. Mrs. GILLIBRAND submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed by her to the bill H.R. 22, to amend the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 to exempt employees with health coverage under TRICARE or the
Veterans Administration from being taken into account for purposes of
determining the employers to which the employer mandate applies under
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; which was ordered to
lie on the table; as follows:
On page 545, between lines 12 and 13, insert the following:
SEC. 34108. COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY POLICY GRANTS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Comprehensive safety policy.--The term ``comprehensive
safety policy'' means a policy that--
(A) safeguards the lives of all road users, including
pedestrians and bicyclists, through improvements such as--
(i) safety investments on the ground;
(ii) enforcement policies;
(iii) traffic safety education; and
(iv) legislative action with the goal of eliminating
pedestrian and bicycle traffic fatalities;
(B) should be drafted with entities with jurisdiction over
infrastructure, planning, and enforcement; and
(C) may include a vision zero action plan.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
unit of local government, including a city, town, township,
borough, county, parish, district, village, or other
political subdivision of a State.
(3) Vision zero action plan.--The term ``vision zero action
plan'' is a plan that--
(A) describes in detail the eligible entity's proposed
actions to significantly reduce or eliminate traffic-related
injuries and fatalities by a set target date; and
(B) outlines a program of projects, include education and
enforcement components, designed to achieve the goal
described in subparagraph (A); and
(C) could be jointly developed by a multi-agency
partnership, involving entities with jurisdiction over
infrastructure, planning, and enforcement.
(b) Pilot Program.--
(1) Incentive grants.--The Secretary shall establish a
pilot program through which the Secretary may award up to 5
grants, for each of the fiscal years 2016 through 2021, to
eligible entities that have adopted a comprehensive safety
policy.
(2) Eligible activities.--An eligible entity may use grant
funding received under this subsection to carry out
activities and safety projects designed to implement the
elements of its comprehensive safety policy, including
infrastructure safety improvements, communications, education
programs, and enforcement activities, if such activities and
projects are eligible for Federal funding under section 148
or 402 of title 23, United States Code.
(3) Selection criteria.--In awarding grants under paragraph
(1), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities
that--
(A) provided an opportunity for public input in the
development of the comprehensive safety policy;
(B) considered existing plans and planning processes in the
drafting of the comprehensive safety policy;
(C) structured the comprehensive safety policy to meet the
performance measures and standards established pursuant to
section 150(c) of title 23, United States Code;
(D) demonstrate broad community support for the
comprehensive safety policy, including the commitment of
community leaders to successfully implement the plan; and
(E) demonstrate the availability of Federal, State, or
local government funding, in addition to the grant funds
authorized under this subsection, to finance the
implementation of the comprehensive safety policy.
(4) Funding limitations.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided under subparagraph (B),
the Federal share of the cost of a project or activity
carried out using grant funds authorized under this
subsection may not exceed 80 percent.
(B) Funds from other federal sources.--Amounts made
available to an eligible entity under another Federal program
may be credited toward the non-Federal share of the cost of a
project or activity described in subparagraph (A), at the
option of the eligible entity.
(c) Funding.--The Secretary is authorized to allocate up to
1 percent of the amount apportioned for the highway safety
improvement program under section 104(b)(3) of title 23,
United States Code, to carry out the pilot program authorized
under subsection (b).
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