I have decided to pursue bill H.R. 803 in the 111th Congress as the topic of my final policy paper topic. This bill proposes to amend titles 23 and 49, United States Code, to require metropolitan planning organizations to consider greenhouse gas emissions in long-range transportation plans and transportation improvement programs. This bill known as the "Green Transit Act" has very little wording, but the potential to make a large impact. The actual wording of the bill, as seen below, only amends two existing pieces of legislation and is not a substantively new piece of legislation.
(a) Highway Planning- Section 134(c)(2) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following sentence: `Such plans and TIPs shall be developed after consideration of emissions of greenhouse gases (as defined in section 211(o)(1) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(1)) and shall provide for reductions in such emissions.'
(b) Public Transportation Planning- Section 5303(c)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following sentence: `Such plans and TIPs shall be developed after consideration of emissions of greenhouse gases (as defined in section 211(o)(1) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(1)) and shall provide for reductions in such emissions.'
The co-sponsors of the bill are
Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3],
Rep Inslee, Jay [WA-1],
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7],
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] and
Rep Thompson, Mike [CA-1]. As expected these are representatives from more liberal state, in this case states located in the pacific northwest and California. What is surprising is that the bill's sponsor is
Rep Doggett, Lloyd from Texas. Texas, the land of expansive highways and oil, does not typically conjure images of environmental activism. Currently, H.R. 803 has been referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
In essence this bill will require metropolitan planning organizations to consider greenhouse gas emissions in long-range transportation plans and transportation improvement programs. Unfortunately, this bill doesn't specify any caps or limitations on greenhouse gases, but it is certainly a move in the right direction.
