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- From: "eegenebradley" <http://profiles.yahoo.com/eegenebradley>
- Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:36:00 -0000
This is the text of the bill I was talking about and that will be discussed at our meeting this evening. (Copies of this bill will also be available at the meeting.) If passed, it would allow transit agencies like VTA to use up 30% of their federal capital transit funds for operations. According to the VTA service cut meeting two weeks ago in where-I-live, VTA is currently flexing 10% of that funding. Given how our Legislature has eliminiated transit operations funding for at least the next 5 years to balance the budget, this bill seems like a good idea to ensure passage. Two of our representatives in Congress, Zoe Lofgren and Jerry McNerney, have already co-sponsored this bill. There is a chance, however, that this bill will NOT be passed on its own. It is possible for provisions in this bill to be part of the next House transportation omnibus bill, due to be discussed after the health care bill currently in Congress passes or fails. Please discuss here and at tonight's meeting. --eugene ========== FORWARD BILL TEXT ========== To amend title 49, United States Code, to allow for additional transportation assistance grants. (Introduced in House) HR 2746 IH 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2746 To amend title 49, United States Code, to allow for additional transportation assistance grants. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 8, 2009 Mr. CARNAHAN (for himself and Ms. MATSUI) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A BILL To amend title 49, United States Code, to allow for additional transportation assistance grants. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF TRANSIT OPERATING ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. Section 5307(b) of title 49, United States Code, is amended as follows: (1) In paragraph (1)-- (A) in subparagraph (D), by inserting `, or an urbanized area with a population of at least 200,000 if the State or regional authority providing public transportation for the area operates less than 100 buses in fixed-route service in the area during peak service hours' after `200,000'; (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as subparagraphs (J) and (K), respectively; and (C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new subparagraphs: `(E) operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population of 200,000 or more, but not more than 400,000, if the State or regional authority providing public transportation for the area operates at least 100 buses in fixed-route service in the area during peak service hours; `(F) operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population of 400,000 or more, but not more than 600,000; `(G) operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population of 600,000 or more, but not more than 800,000; `(H) operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population of 800,000 or more, but not more than 1,000,000; `(I) operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population of 1,000,000 or more;'. (2) By redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3). (3) By inserting the following new paragraph: `(2) LIMITATIONS ON CERTAIN GRANTS ESTABLISHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1)- `(A) With respect to a grant made under paragraph (1)(E), not more than 50 percent of the funds available to carry out this section shall be made available for such grant. `(B) With respect to a grant made under paragraph (1)(F), not more than 45 percent of the funds available to carry out this section shall be made available for such grant. `(C) With respect to a grant made under paragraph (1)(G), not more than 40 percent of the funds available to carry out this section shall be made available for such grant. `(D) With respect to a grant made under paragraph (1)(H), not more than 35 percent of the funds available to carry out this section shall be made available for such grant. `(E) With respect to a grant made under paragraph (1)(I), not more than 30 percent of the funds available to carry out this section shall be made available for such grant.'. (4) By amending paragraph (3) to read as follows: `(3) CONDITIONAL USE OF FUNDS IN AN URBANIZED AREA WITH A POPULATION OF AT LEAST 200,000- `(A) In addition to the grants available under subparagraphs (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), (I), (J), and (K) of paragraph (1), the Secretary may award grants, from funds made available to carry out this section for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2015, to finance the operating cost of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population of at least 200,000, if the designated recipient's percentage of revenue for the operating cost of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation from non-Federal sources, excluding farebox revenue, is greater than such revenue from the previous fiscal year. The amount available for a grant under this paragraph shall not exceed the percentage of such increase. `(B) In addition to the grants made available under subparagraphs (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), (I), (J), and (K) of paragraph (1) and subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the Secretary may award grants, from funds made available to carry out this section for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2015, to finance the operating cost of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population of 200,000 or more, if the designated recipient was awarded a grant under the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction program, authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-105; 123 Stat. 209), and demonstrates that such recipient has achieved-- `(i) a minimum 10 percent total energy savings as a result of the project funded by the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction grant; `(ii) a minimum 10 percent energy savings as a percentage of the total energy usage of the public transit agency as a result of the project; or `(iii) a minimum 10 percent total greenhouse gas emission reduction as a result of the project. `(C) Not less than 10 percent of the funds available to carry out this section shall be made available for the grants under subparagraph (B).'. ========== END FORWARD BILL TEXT ==========
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