21st Century Aerospace Infrastructure Act of 2020
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a pilot program, through FY2023, to issue transportation infrastructure grants to operators of outer space launch sites for the construction, repair, or maintenance of infrastructure and facilities at such sites. A launch site means the location on Earth from which a launch takes place
Grants issued to an operator may not exceed $2.5 million for a fiscal year.
DOT may issue supplemental grants to operators in support of state, local, or private matching under specified conditions.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7313 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7313
To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a pilot program for
intermodal transportation infrastructure grants, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 24, 2020
Mr. Graves of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a pilot program for
intermodal transportation infrastructure grants, and for other
purposes.
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 ``21st Century Aerospace
Infrastructure Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PILOT
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 47115 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(l) Intermodal Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Pilot
Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a pilot
program to issue transportation infrastructure grants to
operators of launch sites for the construction, repair, or
maintenance of infrastructure and facilities at such sites.
``(2) Pilot program application required.--In order to
participate in the pilot program established under paragraph
(1), an operator shall submit an application to the Secretary
in such form, at such time, and containing such information as
prescribed by the Secretary.
``(3) Pilot program qualifications.--The Secretary may only
accept an operator into the pilot program established under
paragraph (1) and issue a grant under this subsection to such
operator if the operator--
``(A) has submitted a complete and timely
application under paragraph (2);
``(B) certifies to the Secretary that the grant
will be used for an eligible purpose under paragraph
(4); and
``(C) agrees to maintain such records relating to
the grant as the Secretary may require and to make such
records available to the Secretary or the Comptroller
General of the United States upon request.
``(4) Permitted use of pilot program grants.--An operator
may use a grant provided under this subsection for the
construction, repair, or improvement of infrastructure and
facilities that--
``(A) are located at, or adjacent to, a launch
site; and
``(B) directly enable or support transportation
safety or covered transportation activities.
``(5) Authority to enter into agreements.--The Secretary
may enter into agreements to provide grants under this
subsection.
``(6) Pilot program grants.--
``(A) Grant formula.--At the beginning of each
fiscal year after fiscal year 2020, the Secretary shall
issue a grant to any operator in the pilot program
established under paragraph (1) an amount equal to the
sum of--
``(i) $250,000 for each licensed launch
operation conducted from the applicable launch
site or at any adjacent Federal launch range in
the previous fiscal year; and
``(ii) $100,000 for each permitted launch
operation conducted from the applicable launch
site or at any adjacent Federal launch range in
the previous fiscal year.
``(B) Maximum grant.--Except as provided in
paragraph (7)(D), a grant issued to an operator under
this subsection shall not exceed $2,500,000 for a
fiscal year.
``(C) Adjacency.--
``(i) In general.--In issuing a grant to an
operator under subparagraph (A), the Secretary
shall determine whether a launch site is
adjacent to a Federal launch site.
``(ii) Limitation.--Only 1 operator may
receive an amount under subparagraph (A) for
each licensed or permitted launch operation
described in such subparagraph.
``(iii) Multiple launch sites operated by 1
operator.--If an operator holds a license to
operate more than 1 launch site that is
adjacent to a Federal launch range, the
Secretary shall consider such launch sites as 1
launch site for purposes of subparagraph (A).
``(7) Supplemental grants in support of state, local, or
private matching.--The Secretary may issue a supplemental grant
from the funds authorized to carry out this subsection to an
operator, subject to the following conditions:
``(A) Dollar-for-dollar matching.--If a qualified
entity provides an operator an amount equal to or
greater than the amount of a grant provided in a fiscal
year under paragraph (6) (for the explicit purpose of
matching such grant), the Secretary may issue a
supplemental grant to the operator that is equal to 25
percent of such grant in the following fiscal year.
``(B) Additional non-federal matching.--If a
qualified entity provides an operator an amount equal
to or greater than two times the amount of a grant
provided in a fiscal year to the operator under
paragraph (6) (for the explicit purpose of matching
such grant), the Secretary may issue a supplemental
grant to the operator that is equal to 50 percent of
such grant in the following fiscal year.
``(C) Supplemental grant limitations.--The
following limitations shall apply to supplemental
grants issued to an operator pursuant to this
paragraph:
``(i) Match timing.--The Secretary may
issue a supplemental grant under subparagraph
(A) or (B) only if an amount provided by a
qualified entity is provided to the operator in
the same fiscal year as the grant issued under
paragraph (6).
``(ii) Non-duplication of matching
grants.--If the Secretary issues a supplemental
grant to the operator of a launch site under
subparagraph (B), the Secretary may not issue a
supplemental grant under subparagraph (A) to
the same operator in the same fiscal year.
``(D) Non-application of grant ceiling.--The
limitation on a grant amount under paragraph (6)(B)
shall not apply to supplemental grants issued under
this paragraph.
``(8) Program administration.--
``(A) Award timing.--Amounts designated to carry
out this section that are not obligated for grants
under paragraphs (6) or (7) by July 1 of the fiscal
year in which the amounts were made available shall be
made available for projects in accordance with
subsection (j).
``(B) Grant assurance applicability.--Except as
provided in subparagraph (C), a grant issued under this
subsection shall not be subject to the conditions of
sections 47106 or 47107, including any regulations
prescribed thereunder, or any other conditions
associated with grants made under this subchapter
pursuant to the Secretary's authority under chapters
471 or 475.
``(C) Combination with other federal funds.--If an
operator combines amounts received under this
subsection with Federal funds from any other source
(including funds received under chapter 471 and 475),
the applicable statutory or regulatory requirements
associated with such funds shall apply to the total
project being funded and to the funds provided under
this subsection.
``(9) Funding.--
``(A) Pilot program grant funds.--The grants issued
under this subsection shall be issued from funds made
available under subsection (j)(4).
``(B) Maximum annual limit on pilot program.--
``(i) In general.--The total amount of all
grants issued under this subsection shall not
exceed $20,000,000 in any fiscal year.
``(ii) Grant reduction.--In carrying out
clause (i), the Secretary--
``(I) may proportionally reduce the
amount of, or decline to issue, a
supplemental grant under paragraph (7);
and
``(II) if the reduction under
subclause (I) is insufficient, shall
proportionally reduce grants issued
under paragraph (6).
``(10) Definitions.--In this subsection, the following
definitions apply:
``(A) Covered transportation activity.--The term
`covered transportation activity' means the movement of
people or property to, from, or within a launch site to
any other location and the necessary or incidental
activities associated with such movement, including
through use of--
``(i) a vehicle;
``(ii) a vessel;
``(iii) an aircraft (as defined in section
40102);
``(iv) a railroad (as defined in section
20102);
``(v) a pipeline facility (as defined in
section 60101); or
``(vi) a launch vehicle.
``(B) Launch; launch site; launch vehicle.--The
terms `launch', `launch site', and `launch vehicle'
have the meanings given those terms in section 50902 of
title 51.
``(C) Operator.--The term `operator' means a person
licensed by the Secretary to operate a launch site.
``(D) Qualified entity.--The term `qualified
entity' means a State, local, or tribal government or
private sector entity, or any combination thereof.
``(11) Pilot program sunset.--This subsection shall cease
to be effective on October 1, 2023.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 47115(j)(4) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by inserting ``and subsection (l)'' after
``this subsection''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
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