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H.R. 5267House117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants Act

Sponsored by Nikema WilliamsRep. Nikema Williams (D-GA)
Introduced September 14, 2021

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 6:40 AM UTC

The Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants Act directs the Federal Highway Administration to create a grant program that funds projects aimed at reconnecting neighborhoods divided by high‑speed or grade‑separated transportation facilities. It provides $3.95 billion for fiscal year 2022 to improve walkability, safety, and affordable transportation, and to support planning and capacity‑building in disadvantaged communities. Eligible recipients include states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, U.S. territories, and, for certain planning grants, nonprofit or higher‑education partners. The law requires at least 40 % of the funds to go to projects that meet equity and anti‑displacement criteria.

Key Provisions

  • Authorizes $3.95 billion in FY2022 for discretionary FHWA grants.
  • Grants may fund removal, replacement, retrofitting, or capping of high‑speed or grade‑separated facilities that block community connectivity.
  • Grants also support planning activities such as air‑quality monitoring, equity assessments, anti‑displacement policies, community benefit agreements, and expanded public participation in disadvantaged areas.
  • Defines eligible entities as states, local governments, political subdivisions, recipients of other highway funds, U.S. territories, metropolitan planning organizations, and, for planning grants, nonprofit or higher‑education partners.
  • Requires at least 40 % of the funds to be allocated to projects in economically disadvantaged or persistent‑poverty communities that have community benefits agreements, anti‑displacement measures, or local hiring plans.
  • Treats funded projects as federal‑aid highway projects for administration purposes.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions
HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Highways and Transit Subcommittee

September 15, 2021

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

September 14, 2021

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

September 14, 2021

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Highways and Transit Subcommittee

September 15, 2021

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued September 14, 2021

I

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 5267

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 14, 2021

Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself, Ms. Johnson of Texas, and Mr. Jeffries) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

A BILL

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration to establish a program to provide grants for reconnecting neighborhoods, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants Act.

2.

Reconnecting neighborhoods

(a)

Authorization

There is authorized to be appropriated from the General Fund of the Treasury, $3,950,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 for the purposes described in this section.

(b)

Grant authority

The Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration shall establish a program to provide discretionary grants to eligible entities described in subsection (c)—

(1)

to improve walkability, safety, and affordable transportation access through construction (as such term is defined in section 101 of title 23, United States Code) of projects that are sensitive to the context of the community—

(A)

to remove, remediate, or reuse a facility described in subsection (d);

(B)

to replace a facility described in subsection (d) with a facility that is at-grade or lower speed; or

(C)

to retrofit or cap a facility described in subsection (d); and

(2)

for planning and capacity building activities in disadvantaged or underserved communities to—

(A)

identify, monitor, or assess local and ambient air quality, emissions of greenhouse gases, hot spot areas of extreme heat or elevated air pollution, gaps in tree canopy coverage, or flood prone locations;

(B)

assess transportation equity or pollution impacts and develop local anti-displacement policies and community benefit agreements;

(C)

conduct predevelopment activities for projects eligible under this subsection;

(D)

expand public participation in transportation planning by individuals and organizations in disadvantaged or underserved communities; or

(E)

administer or obtain technical assistance related to activities described in this subsection.

(c)

Eligible entities described

An eligible entity referred to in subsection (b) is—

(1)

a State (as such term is defined in section 101 of title 23, United States Code);

(2)

a unit of local government;

(3)

a political subdivision of a State (as such term is defined in section 101 of title 23, United States Code);

(4)

a recipient of funds under section 202 of title 23, United States Code;

(5)

a territory of the United States;

(6)

a metropolitan planning organization (as defined in section 134(b) of title 23, United States Code); or

(7)

with respect to a grant described in subsection (a)(2), in addition to an eligible entity described in paragraphs (1) through (6), a nonprofit organization or institution of higher education that has entered into a partnership with an eligible entity described in paragraphs (1) through (6).

(d)

Facility described

A facility is a surface transportation facility for which high speeds, grade separation, or other design factors create an obstacle to connectivity within a community.

(e)

Minimum investment

Not less than 40 percent of the amounts made available under subsection (a) shall be distributed for projects in communities that—

(1)

are economically disadvantaged, including an underserved community or a community located in an area of persistent poverty;

(2)

have entered or will enter into a community benefits agreement with representatives of the community;

(3)

have an anti-displacement policy, a community land trust, or a community advisory board in effect; or

(4)

have demonstrated a plan for employing local residents in the area impacted by the activity or project proposed under this section.

(f)

Administration

Amounts made available under subsection (a) shall be administered as if made available under chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, and a project carried out under this section shall be treated as a project on a Federal-aid highway under such chapter.