High Risk Rural Roads Safety Act of 2021

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1763 To amend title 23, United States Code, to establish a high risk rural roads safety program, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 20, 2021 Mr. KELLY (for himself and Mr. BURR) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To amend title 23, United States Code, to establish a high risk rural roads safety program, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘High Risk Rural Roads 4 Safety Act of 2021’’. 5 SEC. 2. HIGH RISK RURAL ROADS SAFETY GRANT PRO- 6 GRAM. 7 Section 148 of title 23, United States Code, is 8 amended by adding at the end the following: 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:37 Jun 08, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1763.IS S1763 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1763 IS ‘‘(l) HIGH RISK RURAL ROADS PROGRAM SET- 1 ASIDE.— 2 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF INDIAN TRIBE.— 3 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In this subsection, the 4 term ‘Indian Tribe’ has the meaning given the 5 term in section 207(m)(1). 6 ‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—In this subsection, the 7 term ‘Indian Tribe’ includes a Native village 8 and a Native Corporation (as those terms are 9 defined in section 3 of the Alaska Native 10 Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602)). 11 ‘‘(2) RESERVATION OF FUNDS.— 12 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Of the funds appor- 13 tioned to a State under section 104(b)(3) for 14 each fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve an 15 amount such that the Secretary reserves a total 16 under this subsection of $750,000,000, of 17 which— 18 ‘‘(i) $150,000,000 shall be for grants 19 to Indian Tribes under paragraph (3); and 20 ‘‘(ii) $600,000,000 shall be appor- 21 tioned to States in accordance with para- 22 graph (4). 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:37 Jun 08, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1763.IS S1763 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1763 IS ‘‘(B) NOT TRANSFERABLE.—Amounts re- 1 served under this paragraph shall not be trans- 2 ferable. 3 ‘‘(3) TRIBAL GRANT PROGRAM.— 4 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in con- 5 sultation with the Secretary of the Interior, 6 shall establish a program to provide grants to 7 Indian Tribes to improve safety on high risk 8 rural roads. 9 ‘‘(B) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to re- 10 ceive a grant under the program, an Indian 11 Tribe shall submit to the Secretary an applica- 12 tion at such time, in such manner, and con- 13 taining such information as the Secretary may 14 require. 15 ‘‘(C) USE OF FUNDS.—An Indian Tribe 16 may use funds from a grant under this para- 17 graph only for a highway safety improvement 18 project on a high risk rural road. 19 ‘‘(D) STATE STRATEGIC HIGHWAY SAFETY 20 PLAN.—A project carried out under this para- 21 graph shall not be required to be included in a 22 State strategic highway safety plan. 23 ‘‘(E) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal 24 share of the cost of a project carried out with 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:37 Jun 08, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1763.IS S1763 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 1763 IS a grant under the program may be up to 100 1 percent. 2 ‘‘(4) STATE APPORTIONMENT.— 3 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 4 apportion amounts under paragraph (2)(A)(ii) 5 to States based on the proportion that— 6 ‘‘(i) the amount apportioned to the 7 State under section 104(b)(3) for the fiscal 8 year; bears to 9 ‘‘(ii) the amount apportioned to all 10 States under section 104(b)(3) for the fis- 11 cal year. 12 ‘‘(B) ALLOCATION WITHIN A STATE.— 13 Funds apportioned to a State under this para- 14 graph shall be obligated in areas of the State 15 in which the population is not more than 16 50,000, based on the proportion that— 17 ‘‘(i) the population of the applicable 18 area of the State; bears to 19 ‘‘(ii) the total population of all areas 20 of the State with a population of not more 21 than 50,000. 22 ‘‘(C) RESERVATION.—For each fiscal year, 23 a State may reserve not more than 2 percent of 24 the funds apportioned to a State under this 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:37 Jun 08, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1763.IS S1763 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •S 1763 IS paragraph to provide technical assistance to as- 1 sist areas of the State described in subpara- 2 graph (B) in carrying out an eligible project 3 under subparagraph (D). 4 ‘‘(D) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.— 5 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A State may use 6 amounts apportioned under this paragraph 7 only for a highway safety improvement 8 project on a high risk rural road. 9 ‘‘(ii) SELECTION.—To the maximum 10 extent practicable, in selecting projects to 11 carry out under this paragraph, a State 12 shall consult with the unit of local govern- 13 ment representing the area in which the 14 project will be carried out. 15 ‘‘(E) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal 16 share of the cost of a project carried out under 17 this paragraph shall be 100 percent.’’. 18 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:37 Jun 08, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1763.IS S1763 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS