NATIONAL HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

SEC. 103. NATIONAL HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. (a) Amendments.— (1) Part D of subtitle V of title 49, United States Code, is redesignated as part E, chapter 261 of such title is redesignated as chapter 281, and sections 26101 and 26102 of such title are redesignated as sections 28101 and 28102. (2) Subtitle V of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after part C the following new part: “PART D—HIGH-SPEED RAIL “CHAPTER 261—HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE “Sec “26101. Corridor planning. “26102. High-speed rail technology improvements. “26103. Safety regulations. “26104. Authorization of appropriations. “26105. Definitions. “§ 26101. Corridor planning “(a) Corridor Planning Assistance.— (1) The Secretary may provide under this section financial assistance to a public agency or group of public agencies for corridor planning for up to 50 percent of the publicly financed costs associated with eligible activities. “(2) No less than 20 percent of the publicly financed costs associated with eligible activities shall come from State and local sources, which State and local sources may not include funds from any Federal program. “(b) Eligible Activities.— (1) A corridor planning activity is eligible for financial assistance under subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that it is necessary to establish appropriate engineering, operational, financial, environmental, or socioeconomic projections for the establishment of high-speed rail service in the corridor and that it leads toward development of a prudent financial and institutional plan for implementation of specific high-speed rail improvements. Eligible corridor planning activities include— “(A) environmental assessments; “(B) feasibility studies emphasizing commercial technology improvements or applications; “(C) economic analyses, including ridership, revenue, and operating expense forecasting; “(D) assessing the impact on rail employment of developing high-speed rail corridors; “(E) assessing community economic impacts; “(F) coordination with State and metropolitan area transportation planning and corridor planning with other States; “(G) operational planning; “(H) route selection analyses and purchase of rights-of- way for proposed high-speed rail service; “(I) preliminary engineering and design; “(J) identification of specific improvements to a corridor, including electrification, line straightening and other right-of-way improvements, bridge rehabilitation and replacement, use 108 STAT. 4617of advanced locomotives and rolling stock, ticketing, coordination with other modes of transportation, parking and other means of passenger access, track, signal, station, and other capital work, and use of intermodal terminals; “(K) preparation of financing plans and prospectuses; and “(L) creation of public/private partnerships. “(2) No financial assistance shall be provided under this section for corridor planning with respect to the main line of the Northeast Corridor, between Washington, District of Columbia, and Boston, Massachusetts. “(c) Criteria for Determining Financial Assistance.—Selection by the Secretary of recipients of financial assistance under this section shall be based on such criteria as the Secretary considers appropriate, including— “(1) the relationship of the corridor to the Secretary’s national high-speed ground transportation policy; “(2) the extent to which the proposed planning focuses on systems which will achieve sustained speeds of 125 mph or greater; “(3) the integration of the corridor into metropolitan area and statewide transportation planning; “(4) the potential interconnection of the corridor with other parts of the Nation’s transportation system, including the interconnection with other countries; “(5) the anticipated effect of the corridor on the congestion of other modes of transportation; “(6) whether the work to be funded will aid the efforts of State and local governments to comply with the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.); “(7) the past and proposed financial commitments and other support of State and local governments and the private sector to the proposed high-speed rail program, including the acquisition of rolling stock; “(8) the estimated level of ridership; “(9) the estimated capital cost of corridor improvements, including the cost of closing, improving, or separating highway-rail grade crossings; “(10) rail transportation employment impacts; “(11) community economic impacts; “(12) the extent to which the projected revenues of the proposed high-speed rail service, along with any financial commitments of State or local governments and the private sector, are expected to cover capital costs and operating and maintenance expenses; “(13) whether a specific route has been selected, specific improvements identified, and capacity studies completed; and “(14) whether the corridor has been designated as a high-speed rail corridor by the Secretary. “§ 26102. High-speed rail technology improvements “(a) Authority.—The Secretary may undertake activities for the improvement, adaptation, and integration of proven technologies for commercial application in high-speed rail service in the United States. “(b) Eligible Recipients.—In carrying out activities authorized by subsection (a), the Secretary may provide financial assistance to any United States private business, educational institution 108 STAT. 4618located in the United States, State or local government or public authority, or agency of the Federal Government. “(c) Consultation With Other Agencies.—In carrying out activities authorized by subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with such other governmental agencies as may be necessary concerning the availability of appropriate technologies for commercial application in high-speed rail service in the United States. “§ 26103. Safety regulations “The Secretary shall promulgate such safety regulations as may be necessary for high-speed rail services. “§ 26104. Authorization of appropriations “(a) Fiscal Year 1995.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $29,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, for carrying out sections 26101 and 26102 (including payment of administrative expenses related thereto). “(b) Fiscal Year 1996.— (1) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $40,000,000 for fiscal year 1996, for carrying out section 26101 (including payment of administrative expenses related thereto). “(2) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $30,000,000 for fiscal year 1996, for carrying out section 26102 (including payment of administrative expenses related thereto). “(c) FISCAL Year 1997.— (1) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $45,000,000 for fiscal year 1997, for carrying out section 26101 (including payment of administrative expenses related thereto). “(2) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $40,000,000 for fiscal year 1997, for carrying out section 26102 (including payment of administrative expenses related thereto). “(d) Funds to Remain Available.—Funds made available under this section shall remain available until expended. 26105. Definitions “For purposes of this chapter— “(1) the term ‘financial assistance’ includes grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements; “(2) the term ‘high-speed rail’ has the meaning given such term under section 511(n) of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976; “(3) the term ‘publicly financed costs’ means the costs funded after April 29, 1993, by Federal, State, and local governments; “(4) the term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of Transportation; “(5) the term ‘State’ means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and any other territory or possession of the United States; and “(6) the term ‘United States private business’ means a business entity organized under the laws of the United States, or of a State, and conducting substantial business operations in the United States.”. (b) Conforming Amendments.— (1) The table of chapters of subtitle V of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking 108 STAT. 4619the items relating to part D and inserting in lieu thereof the following: “PART D— HIGH-SPEED RAIL “261. HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE 26101 “PART E— MISCELLANEOUS “281. LAW ENFORCEMENT 28101”. (2) The table of sections of chapter 281 of title 49, United States Code, as such chapter is redesignated by subsection (a)(1) of this section, is amended— (A) by striking “26101” and inserting in lieu thereof “28101”; and (B) by striking “26102” and inserting in lieu thereof “28102”.