21st Century Aerospace Infrastructure Act of 2021
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a pilot program, through FY2023, to issue grants to operators of space launch and reentry sites for projects to construct, repair, maintain, or improve transportation infrastructure and facilities at such sites. Launch site is defined as the location on Earth from which a launch takes place and necessary facilities at that location, and reentry site is defined as the location on Earth to which a reentry vehicle (i.e., spacecraft) is intended to return.
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 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3902 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3902
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 15, 2021
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 2021''.
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 grants to operators of launch and reentry
sites for projects to construct, repair, maintain, or improve
transportation infrastructure and facilities at such sites. The
Secretary may enter into agreements to provide grants under
this subsection.
``(2) Pilot program qualifications.--The Secretary may only
issue a grant under this subsection to an operator if the
operator--
``(A) has submitted an application to the Secretary
in such form, at such time, and containing such
information as prescribed by the Secretary;
``(B) demonstrates to the Secretary's satisfaction
that the project for which the application has been
submitted is for an eligible purpose under paragraph
(3); 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.
``(3) Permitted use of pilot program grants.--An operator
may use a grant provided under this subsection for a project to
construct, repair, maintain, or improve infrastructure and
facilities that--
``(A) are located at, or adjacent to, a launch or
reentry site; and
``(B) directly enable or support transportation
safety or covered transportation activities.
``(4) Pilot program grants.--
``(A) Grant formula.--At the beginning of each
fiscal year after fiscal year 2021, the Secretary shall
issue a grant to an operator that qualifies for the
pilot program under paragraph (2) an amount equal to
the sum of--
``(i) $250,000 for each licensed launch or
reentry operation conducted from the applicable
launch or reentry site or at any adjacent
Federal launch range in the previous fiscal
year; and
``(ii) $100,000 for each permitted launch
or reentry operation conducted from the
applicable launch or reentry site or at any
adjacent Federal launch range in the previous
fiscal year.
``(B) Maximum grant.--Except as provided in
paragraph (5)(E), 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 or reentry
site is adjacent to a Federal launch range.
``(ii) Limitation.--Only 1 operator may
receive an amount under subparagraph (A) for
each licensed or permitted launch or reentry
operation described in such subparagraph.
``(iii) Multiple launch or reentry sites
operated by 1 operator.--If an operator holds a
license to operate more than 1 launch site or
more than 1 reentry site that are adjacent to a
Federal launch range, the Secretary shall
consider such launch or reentry sites as 1
launch or reentry site for purposes of
subparagraph (A).
``(5) Supplemental grants in support of state, local, or
private matching.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary may issue a
supplemental grant to an operator, subject to the
requirements of this paragraph.
``(B) 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 (4) (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.
``(C) 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 (4) (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.
``(D) Supplemental grant limitations.--
``(i) Match timing.--The Secretary may
issue a supplemental grant under subparagraph
(B) or (C) 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 (4).
``(ii) Non-duplication of matching
grants.--If the Secretary issues a supplemental
grant to the operator of a launch site under
subparagraph (C), the Secretary may not issue a
supplemental grant under subparagraph (B) to
the same operator in the same fiscal year.
``(E) Non-application of grant ceiling.--The
limitation on a grant amount under paragraph (4)(B)
shall not apply to supplemental grants issued under
this paragraph.
``(6) Program administration.--
``(A) Award timing.--Amounts designated to carry
out this section that are not obligated for grants
under paragraphs (4) or (5) 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 chapter 471
or 475 (excluding section 47112 and 47113).
``(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.
``(7) 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 complying with
clause (i), the Secretary--
``(I) may proportionally reduce the
amount of, or decline to issue, a
supplemental grant under paragraph (5);
and
``(II) if the reduction under
subclause (I) is insufficient, shall
proportionally reduce grants issued
under paragraph (4).
``(8) 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
and the necessary or incidental activities associated
with such movement, including through use of--
``(i) a vehicle;
``(ii) a vessel;
``(iii) a railroad (as defined in section
20102);
``(iv) an aircraft (as defined in section
40102);
``(v) a pipeline facility (as defined in
section 60101); or
``(vi) a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle.
``(B) Launch; launch site; launch vehicle; reentry
site; reentry vehicle.--The terms `launch', `launch
site', `launch vehicle', `reentry site', and `reentry
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 or
reentry site.
``(D) Qualified entity.--The term `qualified
entity' means a State, local, or tribal government or
private sector entity, or any combination thereof.
``(9) 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 Highways and Transit.
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