S.Amdt. 2578

SA 2578. Mr. BYRD submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1072, to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in the amendment, insert:

SEC. 1816. APPALACHIAN DEVELOPMENT HIGHWAY SYSTEM COMPLETION PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code (as amended by section 1815(a)), is amended by adding at the end the following:

“Sec. 178. Appalachian development highway system completion

program

“(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a program, to be known as the ‘Appalachian development highway system completion program' (referred to in this section as the ‘program'), to allocate capital funding to expedite the completion of ‘ready-to-go' segments of the Appalachian development highway system.

“(b) Eligible Activities.--A State that receives an allocation of funds under this section shall use the funds to construct highways and access roads in accordance with chapter 145 of title 40.

“(c) Allocation of Funds.--The Secretary shall allocate funds under the program to each State based on the proportion that, under the most recent published report of the Appalachian Regional Commission under section 14501 of title 40--

“(1) the cost of construction of highways and access roads that are not in ‘location status' for the Appalachian development highway system program in the State; bears to

“(2) the cost of construction of highways and access roads that are not in ‘location status' for the Appalachian development highway system program in all States.

“(d) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of carrying out any project or activity using funds allocated under the program shall be 80 percent.

“(e) Funding.--

“(1) In general.--There shall be available to the Secretary to carry out this section, from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account), $900,000,000 for the period of fiscal year 2004.

“(2) Obligation, eligibility, and availability.--Funds authorized to be appropriated under section 1101(16) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2004 and made available under paragraph (1) to carry out this section--

“(A) shall be available for obligation by the Secretary in the same manner as if the funds were apportioned under this chapter;

“(B) shall not be considered in determining the eligibility of any State to receive funds under section 105; and

“(C) shall remain available until expended.”.

(b) Conforming Amendment.--The analysis for subchapter I of chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code (as amended by section 1815(b)), is amended by adding at the end the following:

“178. Appalachian development highway system completion program.”.

(c) Infrastructure Performance and Maintenance Program.--Notwithstanding section 1101(13), the amount authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) for the infrastructure performance and maintenance program under section 139 of title 23, United States Code, is hereby reduced by $900,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.