TEA 21 bill

TEA 21 Restoration Act - Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to increase authorization of appropriations for FY 1998 through 2003 for the High Priority Projects Program. Increases the FY 1998 authorization of appropriations for Highway Use Tax Evasion Projects.

(Sec. 2) Increases obligation ceilings for FY 1999 through 2003 for Federal-aid highway programs. Declares that such obligations shall remain available for a period of three fiscal years.

Sets a $1 million minimum for State apportionments for Interstate maintenance, national highway system, bridge, congestion mitigation and air quality improvement, surface transportation, metropolitan planning, minimum guarantee, high priority projects, Appalachian development highway system, and recreational trails programs.

Directs the Secretary of Transportation: (1) on October 15 of FY 2000 and each fiscal year thereafter, to allocate for such fiscal year an amount of funds determined under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), for distribution if the determined amount for such fiscal year is greater than zero; and (2) if the determined amount for such fiscal years is less than zero, to reduce proportionately, on October 1 of the succeeding fiscal year, the amount of sums authorized to be appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (other than the Mass Transit Account) to carry out each of the Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs (other than emergency relief) by an aggregate amount equal to the determined amount.

Postpones from April 1, 1998, to August 1, 1998, the deadline for the Secretary to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the development and maintenance by the IRS of an excise fuel reporting system.

Amends the Secretary's mandate to reserve funds for projects to replace and rehabilitate deficient Indian reservation road bridges to specify, as an alternative to applying calcium magnesium acetate or sodium acetate-formate, any other environmentally acceptable, minimally corrosive anti-icing and de-icing compositions.

(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary to: (1) collect and disseminate information, foster educational programs, and conduct research, and study techniques, on protecting historic covered bridges from rot, fire, natural disasters, or weight-related damage; and (2) make grants to applicant States demonstrating a need for assistance to rehabilitate or repair, or preserve, one or more historic covered bridges. Authorizes appropriations.

Authorizes the Secretary, upon request by the Mayor of the District of Columbia, to approve Interstate System (IS) substitute highway and transit projects (with an 85 percent Federal share of costs) in lieu of construction of the Barney Circle Freeway project.

Amends Federal law to repeal the requirement that State bond interest be included in the Federal share of costs on the construction of Interstate and National Highway System projects.

Requires any Federal-aid highway funds released by the final payment on a project (or by modification of the project agreement) to be credited to the same program funding category previously apportioned to the State and be immediately available for expenditure.

Repeals the requirement that the Secretary advance to a requesting State 100 percent of the cost of construction of a toll bridge or toll tunnel that is necessary to complete an essential gap in the IS.

Repeals the requirement that Federal aid for highway construction be extended only to States that use their motor vehicle registration fees, licenses, gasoline taxes, and other special taxes on motor- vehicle owners and operators for the construction and maintenance of State highways.

Repeals the extension of the winter home heating oil delivery program.

Requires the Texas State Highway 99 (also known as "Grand Parkway") to be considered as one option in the I-69 route studies performed by the Texas Department of Transportation for the designation of I-69 Bypass in Houston, Texas.

Authorizes appropriations from the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) for: (1) the High Priority Las Vegas Intermodal Center in Las Vegas, Nevada; and (2) certain seismic design and engineering and deployment projects.

Sets forth a certain formula for the apportionment of Federal aid to the Puerto Rico highway program.

Authorizes appropriations from the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) for: (1) implementing traffic calming measures in Fauquier and Loudoun Counties, Virginia; (2) a pedestrian bridge over U.S. Route 29 at Emmet Street in Charlottesville, Virginia; (3) construction of the Virginia Blue Ridge Parkway interpretive center located on the Roanoke River Gorge in Virginia; and (4) the renovation and preservation of the Missouri Route 66 Chain of Rocks Bridge.

Earmarks specified amounts to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission with respect to the six-year suspension of toll collection for travel between specified points along the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Earmarks specified amounts to the Secretary to make grants for the research and development of low-speed superconductivity magnetic levitation (MAGLEV) technology for public transportation in urban areas to demonstrate energy efficiency, congestion mitigation, and safety benefits. Authorizes appropriations for specified related noncontract authority.

Allows transportation assistance to State and local governments hosting an official venue of the Special Olympics International.

(Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary to establish criteria and a selection process (conforming, to the extent practicable, to Executive Order No. 12893 with respect to infrastructure investment) for discretionary programs funded from the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) that at a minimum apply to: (1) the intelligent transportation system deployment program; (2) the national corridor planning and development program; (3) the coordinated border infrastructure and safety program; (4) the construction of ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities; (5) the national scenic byways program; (6) the Interstate discretionary program; and (7) the discretionary bridge program.

Directs the Secretary to develop and implement a coordinated environmental review process for mass transit projects.

(Sec. 5) Requires each State to have in effect a law that prohibits the possession of any open alcoholic beverage container, or the consumption of such beverages in the passenger area of motor vehicles on public highways. Requires the Secretary, if a State has not enacted or is not enforcing such a law, to transfer specified increasing percentages of a State's National Highway program, surface transportation program, and IS apportionments to its highway safety program apportionment to be: (1) used for alcohol-impaired driving countermeasures; (2) directed to State and local law enforcement agencies for enforcement of laws prohibiting driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence and other related laws; or (3) at the election of the State, used for hazard elimination programs.

Sets forth analogous requirements for States which have not enacted or are not enforcing minimum penalties for repeat offenders for driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence.

(Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to award a grant to the Minnesota Historical Society for the establishment of the Minnesota Transportation History Network to include major exhibits, interpretive programs at national historic landmark sites, and outreach programs with county and local historical organizations. Authorizes appropriations.

Decreases the authorization of appropriations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to pave the entrance road to the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge.

(Sec. 9) Amends the Federal Transit Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary to: (1) establish with the Federal land management agencies that have jurisdiction over land in the Lake Tahoe region a transportation planning process for the region; and (2) coordinate the transportation planning process with the State and local government planning process. Grants congressional consent to California and Nevada to designate by interstate compact a metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the region. Requires the MPO's policy board to include a representative of each Federal land management agency that has jurisdiction over land in the Lake Tahoe region.

Permits the use of up to one percent of Nevada's apportionment for public lands highways to carry out the transportation planning process (including highway projects developed in transportation plans) for the Lake Tahoe region.

Amends Federal transportation law to allow an MPO's long-range metropolitan area financial plan to include, for illustrative purposes, additional projects that would be included in the adopted long-range plan if reasonable additional resources beyond those identified in the financial plan were available. Requires the MPO and the State cooperatively to develop estimates of funds that will be available to support long-range plan implementation. Declares that a State or MPO shall not be required to select a project from the illustrative list of additional projects.

Requires an MPO, public transit agency, and the State, for purposes of developing a transportation improvement program, to cooperatively develop estimates of funds that are reasonably expected to be available to support program implementation.

Amends the Federal Transit Act of 1998 to revise transportation project selection procedures to require MPOs to consult with affected public transit operators when selecting such projects from an approved transportation improvement program.

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for FY 1998 to finance the operating cost of equipment and facilities for use in mass transportation in an urbanized area with a population of at least 200,000.

Earmarks up to eight percent of capital project funds for new fixed guideway systems and extensions to existing fixed guideway systems for activities other than final design and construction.

Earmarks specified funds for capital projects in Alaska or Hawaii for new fixed guideway systems and extensions to existing fixed guideway systems that are ferry boats or ferry terminal facilities, or that are approaches to ferry terminal facilities.

Directs the Comptroller General (currently, the Secretary of Transportation) to report to specified congressional committees on the dollar value of mobility improvements and their relationship to the overall transportation justification of a new fixed guideway system or extension to an existing system.

Makes specified advanced technology pilot project funds available from the HTF for transportation research, training, and curriculum development at specified institutions of higher learning.

Renames the National Mass Transportation Institute program as the National Transit Institute program.

Requires the pilot program to determine the benefits of using funds from the HTF Mass Transit Account for intercity passenger rail to be confined to a single State (Oklahoma).

Requires a mass transportation grant recipient, when awarding a procurement contract, to maximize efficiencies of administration by accepting nondisputed audits conducted by other government agencies.

Increases from 600,000 to 900,000 the maximum number of total bus revenue vehicle-miles operated in or directly serving an urbanized area with a population of at least 200,000 to make such area eligible for a formula grant to finance the operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in mass transportation.

Renames the urban block grant program as the urban formula grant program.

Revises authorization of appropriations for FY 1998 through 2003 for various mass transit programs.

Earmarks specified sums of university transportation research grant amounts for each fiscal year for specified named university transportation centers.

Decreases the authorization of appropriations for FY 1999 through 2003 for capital projects for new fixed guideway systems and extensions to existing fixed guideway systems.

Authorizes specified additional projects for final design and construction and alternative analysis and preliminary engineering for specified new fixed guideway systems and extensions to existing fixed guideway systems under the New Starts program.

Authorizes appropriations for the rural transportation accessibility incentive program for FY 1999 through 2003 for operators of over-the-road buses used substantially or exclusively in intercity, fixed-route over-the-road bus service (including operators of other over-the-road bus service) to finance the incremental capital and training costs of DOT's final rules regarding accessibility of over-the-road buses.

Revises obligation ceilings for FY 2000 and 2002.

(Sec. 11) Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to decrease the FY 1998 through 2003 authorization of appropriations for university transportation research.

Revises obligation ceilings.

Authorizes the Secretary to use up to 25 percent of certain transportation funds to make available loans, lines of credit, and loan guarantees for projects that are eligible for assistance and that have significant intelligent transportation system elements.

Makes West Virginia University Institute of Technology, the College of West Virginia, and Bluefield State College eligible to receive grants to establish university transportation centers.

Revises the authorization of appropriations to the Oklahoma State University for FY 2001 and 2002 for certain bridge projects.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1998 through 2003 for continuation of certain studies of the fundamental properties of asphalt and modified asphalts.

(Sec. 13) Decreases outlays for FY 1999 and 2000 for nondefense and discretionary spending categories.

(Sec. 14) Amends Federal law relating to veteran's benefits to provide that a veteran's disability or death shall not be considered service-connected on the basis that it resulted from injury or disease attributable to the use of tobacco products by the veteran during active duty.

Increases (by 20 percent) the rates of survivors and dependents educational assistance.