# § 70204. Multi-State freight corridor planning
**(a)** **Consent to Multi-State Freight Mobility Compacts.—** Congress recognizes the right of States, cities, regional planning organizations, federally recognized Indian Tribes, and local public authorities (including public port authorities) that are regionally linked with an interest in a specific nationally or regionally significant multi-State freight corridor to enter into multi-State compacts to promote the improved mobility of goods, including—
**(1)** identifying projects along the corridor that benefit multiple States;
**(2)** assembling rights-of-way; and
**(3)** performing capital improvements.
**(b)** **Financing.—** A multi-State freight compact established by entities under subsection (a) may provide that, in order to carry out the compact, the relevant States or other entities may—
**(1)** accept contributions from a unit of State or local government;
**(2)** use any Federal or State funds made available for freight mobility infrastructure planning or construction, including applying for grants;
**(3)** subject to such terms and conditions as the States consider to be advisable—
**(A)** borrow money on a short-term basis; and
**(B)** issue—
**(i)** notes for borrowing under subparagraph (A); and
**(ii)** bonds; and
**(4)** obtain financing by other means permitted under applicable Federal or State law.
**(c)** **Advisory Committees.—**
**(1)** **In general.—** A multi-State freight compact under this section may establish a multi-State freight corridor advisory committee, which shall include representatives of State departments of transportation and other public and private sector entities with an interest in freight mobility, such as—
**(A)** ports;
**(B)** freight railroads;
**(C)** shippers;
**(D)** carriers;
**(E)** freight-related associations;
**(F)** third-party logistics providers;
**(G)** the freight industry workforce;
**(H)** environmental organizations;
**(I)** community organizations; and
**(J)** units of local government.
**(2)** **Activities.—** An advisory committee established under paragraph (1) may—
**(A)** advise the parties to the applicable multi-State freight compact with respect to freight-related priorities, issues, projects, and funding needs that impact multi-State—
**(i)** freight mobility; and
**(ii)** supply chains;
**(B)** serve as a forum for States, Indian Tribes, and other public entities to discuss decisions affecting freight mobility;
**(C)** communicate and coordinate multi-State freight priorities with other organizations;
**(D)** promote the sharing of information between the private and public sectors with respect to freight issues; and
**(E)** provide information for consideration in the development of State freight plans under section 70202.
**(d)** **Grants.—**
**(1)** **Establishment.—** The Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall provide grants to multi-State freight compacts, or States seeking to form a multi-State freight compact, that seek to improve a route or corridor that is a part of the National Multimodal Freight Network established under section 70103.
**(2)** **New compacts.—**
**(A)** **In general.—** To incentivize the establishment of multi-State freight compacts, the Secretary may award a grant for operations costs in an amount of not more than $2,000,000 to—
**(i)** a multi-State freight compact established under subsection (a) during the 2-year period beginning on the date of establishment of the multi-State freight compact; or
**(ii)** States seeking to form a multi-State freight compact described in that subsection.
**(B)** **Eligibility.—**
**(i)** **New multi-state freight compacts.—** A multi-State freight compact shall be eligible for a grant under this paragraph only during the initial 2 years of operation of the compact.
**(ii)** **States seeking to form a compact.—** States seeking to form a multi-State freight compact shall be eligible for a grant under this paragraph during—
**(I)** the 2-year period beginning on the date on which an application for a grant under this paragraph with respect to the proposed compact is submitted to the Secretary; or
**(II)** if the compact is formed before the date on which a grant under this paragraph is awarded in accordance with subclause (I), the initial 2 years of operation of the compact.
**(C)** **Requirements.—** To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, a multi-State freight compact or the applicable States seeking to form a multi-State freight compact shall—
**(i)** submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require;
**(ii)** provide a non-Federal match equal to not less than 25 percent of the operating costs of the multi-State freight compact; and
**(iii)** commit to establishing a multi-State freight corridor advisory committee under subsection (c)(1) during the initial 2-year period of operation of the compact.
**(3)** **Existing compacts.—**
**(A)** **In general.—** The Secretary may award a grant to multi-State freight compacts that are not eligible to receive a grant under paragraph (2) for operations costs in an amount of not more than $1,000,000.
**(B)** **Requirements.—** To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, a multi-State freight compact shall—
**(i)** submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require;
**(ii)** provide a non-Federal match of not less than 50 percent of the operating costs of the compact; and
**(iii)** demonstrate that the compact has established a multi-State freight corridor advisory committee under subsection (c)(1).
**(4)** **Authorization of appropriations.—** There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $5,000,000 for each fiscal year to carry out this subsection.
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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 117–58, div. B, title I, § 21106(a)(2), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 659.)
## Editorial Notes
### Prior Provisions
A prior section 70204 was renumbered .