S. 2619: More Opportunities for Rural Economies from DOT Grants Act

This bill, titled the More Opportunities for Rural Economies from DOT Grants Act, aims to improve the process for awarding federal grants under specific programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to certain rural counties and local governments. Here are the main components of the bill:

Definition of High-Density Public Land Counties

The bill defines a "High-Density Public Land County" as a county or equivalent jurisdiction that:

• Has a population of no more than 100,000 people.
• More than 50% of its land is owned or managed by the federal government.

Qualifying Grant Programs

The legislation identifies several programs eligible for grant assistance, which include:

• The Local and Regional Project Assistance Program (formerly known as RAISE and TIGER grant programs).
• The Mega Grant program for national infrastructure projects.
• The INFRA grant program for significant multimodal freight and highway projects.
• The rural surface transportation grant program.
• Other specific transportation and infrastructure grant programs as determined by the Secretary of Transportation.

Grant Support and Assistance

The bill outlines several forms of support for High-Density Public Land Counties:

• Reduction in matching funds: For these counties, the requirement for local matching funds for qualifying grant applications will be reduced by 50%.
• Technical assistance: The Secretary of Transportation will provide additional technical support to these counties upon request, especially during the grant application periods.
• Priority in grant applications: Applications from High-Density Public Land Counties that have not received support in the past ten years will be given priority in the approval process.

Special Considerations for Applications

In evaluating grant applications, the Secretary is required to:

• Give special consideration to applications from High-Density Public Land Counties regarding any rural set-asides established by Congress.
• Consider Tribal governments' applications within these counties for special assistance.

Additional Support

The Secretary may provide further support and flexibility concerning:

• Scoring criteria that could disadvantage smaller communities.
• Partnership requirements with organizations that may not operate within the jurisdiction of the applying county, local government, or Tribal government.
• Financial requirements that rural areas may struggle to meet.
• Complexity of grant application processes that may deter local entities from applying.

Conclusion

This legislation seeks to enhance access to federal grants for economically challenged rural areas where much of the land is federally owned, thus addressing potential barriers these areas face in obtaining funding for transportation and infrastructure projects.

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