text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Nation Building Here at Home Act of 
  2017''.
  
  SEC. 2. TRANSFORMATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.
  
      (a) Establishment.--Not later than 270 days after the date of 
  enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish 
  a transformational infrastructure competitive grant program.
      (b) Grant Authority.--In carrying out the program established under 
  subsection (a), the Secretary may make a grant, on a competitive basis, 
  to any of the following:
              (1) A State government.
              (2) A local government.
              (3) A transit agency.
              (4) A port authority.
      (c) Eligible Projects.--
              (1) In general.--A grant made under subsection (b) may be 
          used for any of the following, if the Secretary determines that 
          the project will significantly impact a metropolitan area, a 
          region, or all of the United States:
                      (A) A highway or bridge project eligible under 
                  title 23, United States Code, including interstate 
                  rehabilitation, improvements to the rural collector 
                  road system, the reconstruction of overpasses and 
                  interchanges, bridge replacements, bridge painting, 
                  seismic retrofit projects for bridges, and road 
                  realignments.
                      (B) A public transportation project eligible under 
                  chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, including 
                  investment in a project participating in the New Starts 
                  or Small Starts programs that will expedite the 
                  completion of that project and its entry into revenue 
                  service.
                      (C) A passenger or freight rail transportation 
                  project.
                      (D) A port infrastructure investment, including a 
                  project that connects ports to other modes of 
                  transportation and improves the efficiency of freight 
                  movement.
                      (E) An aviation infrastructure project.
                      (F) A water infrastructure project.
              (2) Coordination.--With respect to a project described in 
          paragraph (1)(F), the Secretary shall coordinate any grant for 
          such a project with the Administrator of the Environmental 
          Protection Agency and the Secretary of the Army (acting through 
          the Chief of Engineers).
      (d) Applications and Criteria for Grant Awards.--
              (1) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant made under 
          subsection (b), an entity described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), 
          or (4) of that subsection shall submit to the Secretary an 
          application in such form, at such time, and containing such 
          information as the Secretary determines appropriate.
              (2) Criteria for grant awards.--Not later than 90 days 
          after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
          issue regulations specifying the criteria that the Secretary 
          will use to make grants on a competitive basis under subsection 
          (b).
              (3) Financial commitments.--The criteria specified by the 
          Secretary under paragraph (2) shall include criteria for the 
          consideration of--
                      (A) whether there are financial commitments in 
                  place with respect to a proposed project;
                      (B) the degree of certainty with respect to such 
                  financial commitments; and
                      (C) whether such financial commitments are from 
                  non-Federal sources.
      (e) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of a project 
  assisted with a grant made under subsection (b) may not exceed 100 
  percent of that cost.
      (f) Considerations.--In making grants under subsection (b), the 
  Secretary shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that the grants--
              (1) are distributed geographically in an equitable manner;
              (2) address the needs of both urban and rural areas 
          appropriately;
              (3) promote the training and employment of veterans, 
          including by having applicable contractors provide to veterans 
          a preference during the hiring and referral of laborers;
              (4) are utilized in a manner that ensures an appropriate 
          percentage of grant amounts are expended through small business 
          concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically 
          disadvantaged individuals (as determined by the Secretary); and
              (5) promote the utilization of participants in a registered 
          apprenticeship program, including by providing a preference to 
          proposed projects that incorporate such utilization.
      (g) Applicability of Title 40.--Each project conducted using funds 
  provided with a grant made under subsection (b) shall comply with the 
  requirements of subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States 
  Code.
      (h) Buy America.--
              (1) In general.--None of the funds made available for a 
          project under this Act may be used for the project unless all 
          of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in the project 
          are produced in the United States.
              (2) Exceptions.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply in any case 
          or category of cases in which the Secretary finds that--
                      (A) applying paragraph (1) would be inconsistent 
                  with the public interest;
                      (B) iron, steel, or the relevant manufactured goods 
                  are not produced in the United States in sufficient and 
                  reasonably available quantities or to a satisfactory 
                  quality; or
                      (C) inclusion of iron, steel, and manufactured 
                  goods produced in the United States will increase the 
                  cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent.
              (3) Justifications.--If the Secretary determines that it is 
          necessary to waive the application of paragraph (1) based on a 
          finding under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall publish in the 
          Federal Register a detailed justification for the waiver.
              (4) International agreements.--This subsection shall be 
          applied in a manner consistent with United States obligations 
          under international agreements.
      (i) Transparency and Accountability.--In carrying out the program 
  established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
              (1) take actions to ensure that grants made under 
          subsection (b) are utilized as expeditiously and efficiently as 
          possible;
              (2) make available to the public, on an appropriate Web 
          site of the Department of Transportation, information on each 
          grant made under subsection (b); and
              (3) submit to Congress, not later than 1 year after the 
          first grant is made under subsection (b), and annually 
          thereafter, information on grants made under subsection (b), 
          including the progress made on projects funded by such grants.
      (j) Environmental Streamlining.--The Secretary shall coordinate, to 
  the maximum extent practicable, with relevant Federal departments and 
  agencies to ensure that environmental reviews are conducted in a manner 
  that facilitates the accelerated delivery of projects for which a grant 
  is made under this section.
      (k) Authorization of Appropriations.--
              (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
          the Secretary to make grants under the program established 
          under subsection (a) $1,263,000,000,000, in the aggregate, for 
          fiscal years 2018 through 2022.
              (2) Eligible project use.--From the amounts made available 
          under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall use--
                      (A) 85 percent of the amounts to make grants for 
                  projects described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of 
                  subsection (c)(1);
                      (B) 2 percent of the amounts to make grants for 
                  projects described in subparagraph (D) of subsection 
                  (c)(1);
                      (C) 4 percent of the amounts to make grants for 
                  projects described in subparagraph (E) of subsection 
                  (c)(1); and
                      (D) 9 percent of the amounts to make grants for 
                  projects described in subparagraph (F) of subsection 
                  (c)(1).
  
  SEC. 3. NATION BUILDING HERE AT HOME FINANCING INITIATIVE.
  
      (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
  enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation 
  with the Secretary of Transportation, shall establish a Nation Building 
  Here at Home Financing Initiative in accordance with this section.
      (b) Authority To Issue Bonds.--In carrying out the initiative 
  established under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury may 
  issue bonds. The aggregate face amount of bonds issued under this 
  subsection may not exceed $300,000,000,000.
      (c) Characteristics of Bonds.--Bonds issued under subsection (b) 
  shall be issued in such amounts, bear such rates of interest, and be 
  subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary of the Treasury 
  may prescribe.
      (d) Use of Bond Proceeds.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall make 
  available to the Secretary of Transportation the proceeds resulting 
  from bonds issued under subsection (b). The Secretary of Transportation 
  may use such proceeds only to carry out the program established under 
  section 2(a) of this Act.
  
  SEC. 4. REPORT.
  
      Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
  the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to Congress a 
  comprehensive report describing the transportation needs of the United 
  States for each of the following:
              (1) The 20-year period beginning on the date of enactment 
          of this Act.
              (2) The 30-year period beginning after the period described 
          in paragraph (1).
              (3) The 50-year period beginning after the period described 
          in paragraph (2).
target: Nation Building Here at Home Act of 2017  This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a transformational infrastructure competitive grant program to award grants to state and local governments, transit agencies, and port authorities for certain public transportation projects (including water infrastructure projects) that will significantly impact a metropolitan area, a region, or all of the United States. The federal share of project costs is 100%. The iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in projects funded under this bill must have been produced in the United States, except in specified circumstances. DOT shall coordinate with relevant federal departments and agencies to ensure that environmental reviews are made in a manner that accelerates delivery of such projects. The Department of the Treasury shall establish a Nation Building Here at Home Financing Initiative.
feat_title: Nation Building Here at Home Act of 2017