S.Amdt. 2434

SA 2434. Mr. DONNELLY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 22, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt employees with health coverage under TRICARE or the Veterans Administration from being taken into account for purposes of determining the employers to which the employer mandate applies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 246, strike lines 6 through 9 and insert the following:

(9) in subsection (k), by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:

“(3) Congestion management process.--

“(A) In general.--Within a metropolitan planning area serving a transportation management area, the transportation planning process under this section shall address congestion management through a process that provides for effective management and operation, based on a cooperatively developed and implemented metropolitan-wide strategy of new and existing transportation facilities eligible for funding under this title and chapter 53 of title 49 through the use of travel demand reduction, employer-based commuting programs, job access projects, shared-use projects, and operational management strategies.

“(B) Schedule.--The Secretary shall establish an appropriate phase-in schedule for compliance with the requirements of this section but not sooner than 1 year after the identification of a transportation management area.

“(C) Congestion management plan.--

“(i) Development.--A metropolitan planning organization with a transportation management area shall develop a congestion management plan in accordance with the requirements of clause (ii) that includes projects and strategies that shall be considered in the transportation improvement program for the metropolitan planning organization.

“(ii) Requirements.--A plan developed under clause (i) shall--

“(I) develop regional goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled during peak commuting hours and to improve transportation connections between areas with high job concentration and areas with high concentrations of low-income households;

“(II) identify existing public transportation services, employer-based commuter programs, and other existing transportation services that support access to jobs in the region; and

“(III) identify proposed projects and programs to reduce congestion and increase job access opportunities

“(D) Participation.--In conducting the process under subparagraph (A) and developing the plan under subparagraph (C) a metropolitan planning organization shall include employers, private and nonprofit providers of public transportation, transportation management organizations, and organizations that provide job access, reverse commute projects, or job-related services to low-income individuals to assist in the planning process and the development of the plan.”;