[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 136 (Sunday, August 1, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S5247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2132. Mr. ROUNDS (for himself, Ms. Smith, Mr. Warnock, Ms. Lummis, 
Ms. Baldwin, and Mr. Cramer) submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed by him to the bill H.R. 3684, to authorize funds for Federal-
aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place in division C, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. 300__. INCREASED FEDERAL SHARE OF OPERATING COSTS FOR 
                   CERTAIN AREAS.

       Section 5311(g)(2)(B) of title 49, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in the subparagraph heading, by striking ``Exception'' 
     and inserting ``Exceptions'';
       (2) by striking ``A State'' and inserting the following:
       ``(i) States with nontaxable indian lands or public domain 
     lands.--Subject to clause (ii), a State''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(ii) Areas with particular needs.--

       ``(I) Definition.--In this clause, the term `area of 
     persistent poverty' means--

       ``(aa) any county in which not less than 20 percent of the 
     population has lived in poverty during the most recent 30-
     year period, as measured by--
       ``(AA) the second and third most recent decennial censuses; 
     and
       ``(BB) the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates of the 
     Bureau of the Census for the most recent year for which the 
     Estimates are available; or
       ``(bb) any census tract with a poverty rate of not less 
     than 20 percent, as measured by most recent 5-year data 
     series available from the American Community Survey of the 
     Bureau of the Census.

       ``(II) Increased federal share.--A grant made under this 
     section for operating assistance to an operator of public 
     transportation that serves an area that meets 1 or more of 
     the criteria under subclause (III) shall be for 80 percent of 
     the net operating costs of the project, as determined by the 
     Secretary.
       ``(III) Criteria.--The criteria referred to in subclause 
     (II) are that an area--

       ``(aa) is an area of persistent poverty;
       ``(bb) is a county in which not less than 25 percent of 
     residents are age 65 or older, according to the most recent 
     5-year estimate of the American Community Survey of the 
     Bureau of the Census;
       ``(cc) is a county that, or is a county that includes a 
     site that--
       ``(AA) has been designated by the Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services as a health professional shortage area under 
     section 332(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     254e(a)) on the basis of a primary care or mental health care 
     shortage; and
       ``(BB) received a health professional shortage area score 
     for the most recent program year, with respect to primary 
     care or mental health care, that was not less than the lowest 
     minimum score, as designated by the Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services for that program year, necessary for the site 
     to be eligible for the assignment of National Health Service 
     Corps members providing primary care or mental health care, 
     respectively, for fulfillment of obligated service under the 
     National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program; or
       ``(dd) is a county with a population density of not more 
     than 20 persons per square mile of land area, based on the 
     most recent decennial census.''.
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