text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``University Transit Rider Innovation 
  Program Act of 2015'' or ``UTRIP Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FORMULA GRANTS TO INCREASE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION RIDERSHIP BY 
                COLLEGE STUDENTS.
  
      (a) In General.--Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is 
  amended--
              (1) by inserting after section 5307 the following:
  ``Sec. 5308. Formula grants to increase ridership by college students
      ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
              ``(1) the term `covered student' means an undergraduate or 
          graduate student attending an institution of higher education;
              ``(2) the term `eligible entity' means--
                      ``(A) a recipient or subrecipient that provides 
                  covered students a discounted fare for public 
                  transportation that meets the requirements under 
                  subsection (d)(1); or
                      ``(B) a recipient that allocates amounts provided 
                  to the recipient under a grant under this section to a 
                  subrecipient described in subparagraph (A);
              ``(3) the term `institution of higher education' has the 
          meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education 
          Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001);
              ``(4) the term `large urbanized area' means an urbanized 
          area with a population of not less than 200,000 individuals, as 
          determined by the Bureau of the Census;
              ``(5) the term `recipient' means a designated recipient, a 
          local governmental authority, or a State;
              ``(6) the term `small urbanized area' means an urbanized 
          area with a population of less than 200,000 individuals, as 
          determined by the Bureau of the Census; and
              ``(7) the term `subrecipient' means a State or local 
          governmental authority, a private nonprofit organization, or an 
          operator of public transportation services, including a private 
          operator of public transportation services.
      ``(b) General Authority.--
              ``(1) Grants.--The Secretary may make grants under this 
          section to recipients that are eligible entities to increase 
          the use of public transportation by covered students in 
          accordance with subsection (c).
              ``(2) Subrecipients.--A recipient that receives a grant 
          under this section may allocate the amounts provided under the 
          grant to subrecipients that are eligible entities to increase 
          the use of public transportation by covered students in 
          accordance with subsection (c).
      ``(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity may use amounts provided 
  under a grant under this section to--
              ``(1) offset decreased revenue resulting from providing 
          discounted fares to covered students;
              ``(2) provide general operating assistance to public 
          transportation services and routes designed to better serve 
          institutions of higher education; or
              ``(3) pay for capital costs associated with expanding and 
          maintaining public transportation services and routes designed 
          to serve institutions of higher education.
      ``(d) Discounted Fare.--
              ``(1) In general.--In order to qualify as an eligible 
          entity described in subsection (a)(2)(A), a recipient or 
          subrecipient shall provide to covered students a discounted 
          fare for public transportation that is--
                      ``(A) not more than 75 percent of the fare; and
                      ``(B) applicable to both monthly and single-ride 
                  fares.
              ``(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in paragraph (1) shall 
          be construed to prohibit a recipient or subrecipient that, as 
          of the date of enactment of the University Transit Rider 
          Innovation Program Act of 2015, provides a discounted fare to 
          covered students that meets the requirements under paragraph 
          (1), including a discounted fare that is lower than 75 percent 
          of the fare, from qualifying as an eligible entity described in 
          subsection (a)(2)(A).
      ``(e) Apportionment and Transfers.--
              ``(1) Formula.--The Secretary shall apportion amounts made 
          available to carry out this section as follows:
                      ``(A) Large urbanized areas.--Sixty percent of the 
                  funds shall be apportioned among designated recipients 
                  for large urbanized areas in the ratio that--
                              ``(i) the number of full-time equivalent 
                          covered students in each such urbanized area; 
                          bears to
                              ``(ii) the number of full-time equivalent 
                          covered students in all such urbanized areas.
                      ``(B) Small urbanized areas.--Twenty percent of the 
                  funds shall be apportioned among the States in the 
                  ratio that--
                              ``(i) the number of full-time equivalent 
                          covered students in small urbanized areas in 
                          each State; bears to
                              ``(ii) the number of full-time equivalent 
                          covered students in small urbanized areas in 
                          all States.
                      ``(C) Rural areas.--Twenty percent of the funds 
                  shall be apportioned among the States in the ratio 
                  that--
                              ``(i) the number of full-time equivalent 
                          covered students in rural areas in each State; 
                          bears to
                              ``(ii) the number of full-time equivalent 
                          covered students in rural areas in all States.
              ``(2) Areas served by projects.--
                      ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                  subparagraph (B)--
                              ``(i) funds apportioned under paragraph 
                          (1)(A) shall be used to serve covered students 
                          or institutions of higher education in large 
                          urbanized areas;
                              ``(ii) funds apportioned under paragraph 
                          (1)(B) shall be used to serve covered students 
                          or institutions of higher education in small 
                          urbanized areas; and
                              ``(iii) funds apportioned under paragraph 
                          (1)(C) shall be used to serve covered students 
                          or institutions of higher education in rural 
                          areas.
                      ``(B) Exceptions.--A State may use funds 
                  apportioned to the State under subparagraph (B) or (C) 
                  of paragraph (1)--
                              ``(i) to serve covered students or 
                          institutions of higher education in an area 
                          other than an area specified in subparagraph 
                          (A)(ii) or (A)(iii), as the case may be, if the 
                          Governor of the State certifies that all of the 
                          objectives of this section are being met in the 
                          area specified in subparagraph (A)(ii) or 
                          (A)(iii); or
                              ``(ii) to serve covered students or 
                          institutions of higher education anywhere in 
                          the State, if the State has established a 
                          statewide program for meeting the objectives of 
                          this section.
                      ``(C) Consultation.--A recipient may transfer an 
                  amount under subparagraph (B) only after consulting 
                  with responsible local officials, publicly owned 
                  operators of public transportation, and nonprofit 
                  providers in the area for which the amount was 
                  originally apportioned.''; and
              (2) in section 5338(a)--
                      (A) in paragraph (1)--
                              (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                          ``$9,347,604,639'' and inserting 
                          ``$9,597,604,639'';
                              (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                          ``$9,534,706,043'' and inserting 
                          ``$9,784,706,043'';
                              (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
                          ``$9,733,353,407'' and inserting 
                          ``$9,983,353,407'';
                              (iv) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
                          ``$9,939,380,030'' and inserting 
                          ``$10,189,380,030''; and
                              (v) in subparagraph (E), by striking 
                          ``$10,150,348,462'' and inserting 
                          ``$10,400,348,462''; and
                      (B) in paragraph (2)--
                              (i) in subparagraph (M), by striking 
                          ``and'' at the end;
                              (ii) in subparagraph (N), by striking the 
                          period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                              (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                      ``(M) $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 
                  through 2020 shall be available to carry out section 
                  5308.''.
      (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
              (1) Table of sections.--The table of sections for chapter 
          53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
          item relating to section 5308 and inserting the following:
  
  ``5308. Formula grants to increase ridership by college students.''.
              (2) Obligation ceiling.--Section 3018 of the Federal Public 
          Transportation Act of 2015 (title III of Public Law 114-94) is 
          amended--
                      (A) in paragraph (1), by striking 
                  ``$9,347,604,639'' and inserting ``$9,597,604,639'';
                      (B) in paragraph (2), by striking 
                  ``$9,733,706,043'' and inserting ``$9,983,706,043'';
                      (C) in paragraph (3), by striking 
                  ``$9,733,353,407'' and inserting ``$9,983,353,407'';
                      (D) in paragraph (4), by striking 
                  ``$9,939,380,030'' and inserting ``$10,189,380,030''; 
                  and
                      (E) in paragraph (5), by striking 
                  ``$10,150,348,462'' and inserting ``$10,400,348,462''.
target: University Transit Rider Innovation Program Act of 2015 or the UTRIP Act This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation (DOT) to make grants to designated recipients, local or state governmental authorities, private nonprofit organizations, or operators of public transportation services (recipients) to increase the use of public transportation by undergraduate or graduate students attending an institution of higher education (covered students). A recipient may use amounts provided under a grant to:   offset decreased revenue resulting from providing discounted fares to covered students,  provide general operating assistance to public transportation services and routes designed to better serve institutions of higher education, or  pay for capital costs associated with expanding and maintaining public transportation services and routes designed to serve such institutions.  To be eligible for a grant, a recipient must provide to covered students a discounted fare for public transportation that is: (1) not more than 75% of the fare, and (2) applicable to both monthly and single-ride fares. DOT shall apportion amounts made available to carry out this Act to large urbanized areas, small urbanized areas, and rural areas based on the relative numbers of full-time equivalent covered students in such areas, according to a specified formula, with specified exceptions. 
feat_title: UTRIP Act