[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3673 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3673
To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve highway
transportation in the United States, including rural and metropolitan
areas.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 1 (legislative day, September 17), 2008
Mr. Baucus 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 improve highway
transportation in the United States, including rural and metropolitan
areas.
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 ``Nationwide Freight and Personal
Mobility Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the safe and efficient movement of individuals and
freight in interstate commerce, including the movement of
individuals and freight on highways over long distances, is
essential to the economic growth and prosperity of the United
States, including both rural and metropolitan areas;
(2) the highway movement of freight will be, for the
foreseeable future, on roads that serve both freight and
passenger traffic, requiring effective and unified planning and
funding for the preservation and improvement of highways in the
interest of effective transportation of both individuals and
freight in rural and metropolitan areas;
(3) it is essential and appropriate that Federal programs
to preserve and improve highway transportation infrastructure
ensure consideration of the needs of freight as part of an
overall, unified, and multimodal approach to meeting the
national interest in the safe and efficient transportation of
both individuals and freight;
(4) vehicle miles traveled on the National Highway System,
including the Interstate System, represent nearly 45 percent of
all vehicle miles traveled in the United States, even as
National Highway System routes comprise only 4 percent of
public road mileage in the United States; and
(5) a well-preserved and improved system of National
Highway System routes, including Interstate System routes, is
essential to the effective movement of individuals and freight
in the United States in both rural and metropolitan areas.
SEC. 3. GUARANTEED FUNDING FOR NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
(a) In General.--Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 167. Guaranteed funding for National Highway System
``(a) Applicability.--This section applies to authorizations of
appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit
Account) for fiscal year 2010 and each fiscal year thereafter.
``(b) Determination of Apportionments.--For each fiscal year, the
Secretary shall determine the total amounts apportioned among the
States pursuant to authorizations of appropriations from the Highway
Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account), other than
authorizations of appropriations pursuant to--
``(1) this section;
``(2) section 105; and
``(3) other provisions of this title administered by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
``(c) Additional Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--If the total amount of apportionments
for a fiscal year for the Interstate maintenance program under
section 119 and the National Highway System program under
section 103, exclusive of apportionments pursuant to
authorizations of appropriations under this section, equals
less than 45 percent of the total amount apportioned for the
fiscal year as determined under subsection (b), an additional
amount determined pursuant to paragraph (2) is authorized to be
appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass
Transit Account) for the fiscal year for the National Highway
System program under section 103.
``(2) Amount.--The amount of the additional authorization
of appropriations described in paragraph (1) for a fiscal year
for the National Highway System program under section 103 shall
be determined by the Secretary--
``(A) by subtracting from the total amount
described by subsection (b) the amounts included in
that total for apportionments for the National Highway
System program under section 103 and the Interstate
maintenance program under section 119 for the fiscal
year;
``(B) by dividing the difference calculated under
subparagraph (A) by 0.55;
``(C) by multiplying the quotient calculated under
subparagraph (B) by 0.45; and
``(D) by subtracting from the product calculated
under subparagraph (C) the amount included in
subsection (b) for apportionments for the National
Highway System program under section 103 and the
Interstate maintenance program under section 119 for
the fiscal year.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23,
United States Code, is amended by inserting at the end of the items
relating to subchapter I the following:
``167. Guaranteed funding for National Highway System.''.
SEC. 4. FEDERAL SHARE.
Section 120(b) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by
striking ``80 percent of the cost thereof'' each place it appears and
inserting ``80 percent of the cost of the project (if the project is
not on the National Highway System), or 85 percent of the cost of the
project (if the project is on the National Highway System and not on
the Interstate System)''.
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