Airport Air Quality Improvement Act

Airport Air Quality Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to carry out an inherently low-emission airport vehicle pilot program which makes grants to the sponsors of not more than ten public-use airports eligible for airport development assistance. Makes a public-use airport eligible for such assistance if it is located in an air quality nonattainment area. Directs the Secretary in selecting an applicant sponsor for a grant to give priority consideration to applicants that achieve the greatest air quality benefits measured by the amount of emission reduced per dollar of grant funds. Sets forth fund requirements. Directs the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program. Authorizes appropriations.

[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1035 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1035

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a pilot program 
to promote the use of inherently low-emission vehicles at airports and 
to promote the construction of infrastructure facilities to accommodate 
                             such vehicles.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 9, 1999

  Mr. Boehlert (for himself, Mr. Borski, Mr. Baker, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. 
Horn, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Bass, Mrs. Tauscher, Mrs. Kelly, Mr. LaTourette, 
Mr. Quinn, Mr. Gilchrest, Mrs. Morella, and Mr. Gilman) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a pilot program 
to promote the use of inherently low-emission vehicles at airports and 
to promote the construction of infrastructure facilities to accommodate 
                             such vehicles.

    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 ``Airport Air Quality Improvement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. INHERENTLY LOW-EMISSION AIRPORT VEHICLE PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall carry out a 
pilot program under which the Secretary shall make grants to the 
sponsors of not more than 10 public-use airports eligible for 
assistance under subchapter I of chapter 471 of title 49, United States 
Code.
    (b) Location in Air Quality Nonattainment Areas.--A public-use 
airport shall be eligible for assistance under subsection (a) only if 
the airport is located in an air quality nonattainment area (as defined 
in section 171(2) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7501(d)).
    (c) Selection Criteria.--In selecting from among applicants for 
grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority 
consideration to applicants that achieve the greatest air quality 
benefits measured by the amount of emission reduced per dollar of grant 
funds.
    (d) Use of Funds.--Funds received under this section may be used 
only for--
            (1) the acquisition of materials and the construction of 
        infrastructure facilities necessary for the use of inherently 
        low-emission vehicles located or primarily used at public-use 
        airports;
            (2) the payment of that portion of the cost of acquiring 
        such vehicles that exceeds the cost of acquiring vehicles that 
        are not inherently low-emission vehicles for the same purposes; 
        or
            (3) the acquisition of technological equipment necessary 
        for the use of such inherently low-emission vehicles.
    (e) Non-Federal Share.--The non-Federal share of a project carried 
out using funds made available under subsection (a) shall be 50 percent 
of such cost.
    (f) Maximum Amount.--A sponsor of a public-use airport may not 
receive more than a total of $2,000,000 in grants under subsection (a) 
in a fiscal year.
    (g) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after making the 
grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall transmit to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report containing an evaluation of the 
effectiveness of the pilot program.
    (h) Inherently Low-emission Vehicle Defined.--In this Act, the term 
``inherently low-emission vehicle'' means a vehicle that is certified 
as such pursuant to title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, and is 
labeled in accordance with section 88.312-93(c) of such title.

SEC. 3. FUNDING.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There shall be available out 
of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2000 
to carry out this Act.
    (b) Contract Authority.--A grant approved by the Secretary under 
subsection (a) is a contractual obligation of the United States to pay 
the Federal share of the cost of the project.
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