Local Flexibility for Transit Assistance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to make urbanized area formula grants for the operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population over 200,000 to a designated recipient, direct recipient, or subrecipient that provides public transportation in the area operating less than 100 buses in fixed-route service in the area during peak service hours.
Authorizes a designated recipient or direct recipient that operates at least 100 buses in fixed-route service during peak service hours in an urbanized area with a population of more than 200,000 to use grant funds for the operating costs of public transportation equipment and facilities in such projects if: (1) the recipients are certified by the Secretary as being in a crisis period; and (2) the recipients' percentage of revenue for the operating costs of public transportation equipment and facilities from non-federal sources (excluding system-generated revenue) is equal to the previous fiscal year's revenue, or the revenue is derived from dedicated sources.
Specifies percentage limitations on the use of funds for urbanized areas with populations between 200,000 and 500,000, between 500,000 and 1 million, and over 1 million.
Defines "crisis period" to mean that: (1) the unemployment rate within the recipients' service area is 7% or higher for the preceding month, or (2) the national average retail price of regular gasoline during a quarter has increased by more than 10%.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3200 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3200
To provide flexibility of certain transit functions to local entities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 13, 2011
Mr. Carnahan (for himself, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Berman, Mr. Boswell, Mr.
Brady of Texas, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr.
Capuano, Mr. Chandler, Ms. Chu, Mr. Connolly of Virginia, Mr. Cummings,
Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Engel, Mr. Filner, Mr. Frank of
Massachusetts, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Ms.
Hirono, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. King of New York, Mr.
Langevin, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Lewis of
Georgia, Mr. Lipinski, Ms. McCollum, Mr. McGovern, Mr. McIntyre, Ms.
Moore, Mr. Nadler, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Norton, Mr. Peters, Mr.
Quigley, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Rangel, Ms. Richardson, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez
of California, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Shuler, Mr. Sires, Ms.
Sutton, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Clay, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Davis of
Illinois, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Garamendi, Mr.
Hastings of Florida, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Perlmutter, Mr.
Towns, Ms. Tsongas, Mrs. Miller of Michigan, Mrs. Biggert, Mr. Tiberi,
Mr. LoBiondo, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Moran, Ms. Waters, Mr. Ackerman, Mr.
Altmire, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr.
Costello, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Gutierrez, Ms. Matsui, Mr. George Miller of
California, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Braley of Iowa, Ms. Jackson
Lee of Texas, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Carter, Ms. Bordallo, Mr.
Kildee, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Eddie
Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Clarke of Michigan, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Payne,
Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Keating, Mr. Waxman, Mr.
Crowley, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Holden, Ms. Edwards, Mr. DeFazio, Mr.
Michaud, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Ms. Lee of California, and Mr. Walz
of Minnesota) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide flexibility of certain transit functions to local entities.
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 ``Local Flexibility for Transit
Assistance Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) While transit ridership has increased in the face of
falling disposable income, transit agencies are being forced to
implement some of the deepest service cuts, sharpest fare
increases and layoffs as a result of declining revenues and
increasing fuel prices.
(2) According to the American Public Transportation
Association, over the past 2 years, 84 percent of transit
systems have raised fares, cut service, or are considering
either of these measures in the near future.
(3) Additionally, over the same period of time, transit
systems across the country have seen a 56-percent reduction in
rush hour service, a 62-percent reduction in off-peak service,
and a 40-percent reduction in geographic coverage leaving
thousands of transit drivers without a job.
(4) These cuts have left thousands of transit dependent
Americans without a way to get to work.
(5) It is the policy of the Government to significantly
increase the number of individuals who have access to viable
public transportation systems and services in order to maximize
Americans' ability to access jobs and economic opportunity.
(6) It is the policy of the Government that the ability of
all citizens to move quickly and at a reasonable cost shall be
increased, especially in light of the growth in highway traffic
congestion and the resulting cost to our Nation's productivity
and economic strength.
SEC. 3. URBANIZED AREA FORMULA GRANTS.
Section 5307(b)(1) of title 49 is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as
subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (D)--
``(E) operating costs of equipment and facilities
for use in public transportation in an urbanized area
with a population of more than 200,000 for a designated
recipient, direct recipient, or subrecipient under
section 5311, providing public transportation in the
area and operating less than 100 buses in fixed-route
service in such area during peak service hours.''.
SEC. 4. TARGETED AND TEMPORARY FLEXIBILITY FOR DESIGNATED RECIPIENTS IN
CRISIS.
Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``SEC. 5341. TARGETED AND TEMPORARY FLEXIBILITY FOR DESIGNATED
RECIPIENTS OR DIRECT RECIPIENTS IN CRISIS.
``(a) Definition.--For purposes of this section the term `crisis
period' means that the unemployment rate, as defined by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, of any metropolitan statistical area located within a
designated recipient's or direct recipient's service area is at or
higher than 7 percent for the preceding month or the national average
retail price of regular grade gasoline during a quarter, as reported by
the United States Energy Information Administration, has increased by
more than 10 percent compared to the same quarter during the previous
year.
``(b) Conditions for Flexibility.--
``(1) In general.--If a designated recipient or direct
recipient operates at least 100 buses in fixed-route service
during peak service hours, in an urbanized area with a
population of more than 200,000, and is certified under
paragraph (3) as being in a crisis period, the agency may use
funds provided under section 5307 for operating costs of
equipment and facilities, subject to the conditions set forth
in paragraphs (2) and (3).
``(2) Limitation on use of funds.--A designated recipient
or direct recipient that meets the criteria set forth in
paragraph (1) may use--
``(A) 50 percent of funds provided under section
5307 if it operates in an urbanized area with a
population of more than 200,000 but less than 500,000;
``(B) 45 percent of funds provided under section
5307 if it operates in an urbanized area with a
population of more than 500,000 but less than
1,000,000; or
``(C) 40 percent of funds provided under section
5307 if it operates in an urbanized area with a
population of more than 1,000,000.
``(3) Certification by secretary.--To be eligible to use
funds for operating costs of equipment and facilities under
this section, a designated recipient or direct recipient shall
request that the Secretary certify, not later than 30 days
after such request is made, that the agency is in a crisis
period. After each quarter, the Secretary shall monitor each
designated recipient or direct recipient in a crisis period to
determine if the agency no longer qualifies as being in a
crisis period. When the Secretary determines that an agency is
no longer in a crisis period, the agency has 3 additional
consecutive quarters to use the funds for operating costs of
equipment and facilities.
``SEC. 5342. LOCAL CONTROL OF TRANSIT OPERATING FLEXIBILITY.
``(a) General Eligibility Requirements.--If a designated recipient
or direct recipient operates at least 100 buses in fixed-route service
during peak service hours and is in an urbanized area with a population
of more than 200,000 and--
``(1) such recipient's percentage of revenue for the
operating cost of equipment and facilities for use in public
transportation from non-Federal sources, excluding system-
generated revenue, is at least equal to such revenue from the
previous fiscal year; or
``(2) the recipient receives revenue for the operating cost
of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation
derived in whole or in part from dedicated sources of revenue;
the designated recipient or direct recipient may use funds provided
under section 5307 for operating costs of equipment and facilities,
subject to the percentage limitations in subsection (b).
``(b) Limitations on Use of Funds.--A designated recipient or
direct recipient that meets the criteria set forth in subsection (a)
may use--
``(1) 30 percent of such funds if the area served has a
population of more than 200,000 but not more than 500,000;
``(2) 25 percent of such funds if the area served has a
population of more than 500,000 but not more than 1,000,000; or
``(3) 20 percent of such funds if the area served has a
population of more than 1,000,000.
``(c) Conditional Increase in Percentage Limits.--If the designated
recipient's or direct recipient's percentage of revenue for the
operating cost of equipment and facilities for use in public
transportation from non-Federal sources, excluding system-generated
revenue, is greater than such revenue from the previous fiscal year,
the designated recipient or direct recipient may increase the
applicable percentage specified in subsection (b) by a percentage that
is not greater than the year-over-year increase in such amount.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
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