text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``National Telecommuting and Air 
  Quality Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR DESIGN OF PILOT PROGRAM REGARDING 
                TELECOMMUTING AS MEANS OF IMPROVING AIR QUALITY.
  
      (a) In General.--
              (1) Grant for design of pilot program.--The Secretary of 
          Transportation (in this section referred to as the 
          ``Secretary'') shall make a grant to a nonprofit private entity 
          that is knowledgeable on matters relating to air quality for 
          the purpose of developing a design for the proposed pilot 
          program described in subsection (b). The grant shall be made to 
          the National Environmental Policy Institute (a nonprofit 
          private entity incorporated under the laws of and located in 
          the District of Columbia), if such Institute submits an 
          application for the grant.
              (2) Administration of program.--The Secretary shall carry 
          out this section (including subsection (c)(1)(C)) in 
          collaboration with the Administrator of the Environmental 
          Protection Agency and the Secretary of Energy.
      (b) Proposed Ozone Precursor Credit-Trading Pilot Program.--
              (1) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
                      (A) The term ``participating employers'' means 
                  employers that voluntarily authorize and engage in 
                  telecommuting.
                      (B) The term ``telecommuting'' means the use of 
                  telecommunications to perform work functions under 
                  circumstances in which the use of telecommunications 
                  reduces or eliminates the need to commute.
                      (C) The term ``regulated entities'' means entities 
                  that are regulated under the Clean Air Act with respect 
                  to emissions of one or more ozone precursors.
                      (D) The term ``ozone precursors'' means air 
                  pollutants that are precursors of ground level ozone.
                      (E) The term ``VMTs'' means vehicle-miles-traveled.
              (2) Description of program.--For purposes of subsection 
          (a)(1) and other provisions of this section, the proposed pilot 
          program described in this subsection is a pilot program under 
          which the following would occur:
                      (A) Methods would be evaluated and developed for 
                  calculating reductions in emissions of ozone precursors 
                  that can be achieved as a result of reduced VMTs by 
                  telecommuting employees of participating employers.
                      (B) The estimated reductions in such emissions for 
                  the periods of time involved would be deemed to be 
                  items that may be transferred by such employers to 
                  other persons, and for such purpose the employers would 
                  be issued certificates indicating the amount of the 
                  reductions achieved for the periods (referred to in 
                  this section as ``emission credits'') .
                      (C) A commercial trading and exchange forum would 
                  be made available to the public for trading and 
                  exchanging emission credits.
                      (D) Through the commercial trading and exchange 
                  forum, or through direct trades and exchanges with 
                  persons who hold the credits, regulated entities would 
                  obtain emission credits.
                      (E) Regulated entities would present emission 
                  credits to the Federal Government or to the State 
                  involved (as applicable under the Clean Air Act) and 
                  the amounts of reductions in emissions of ozone 
                  precursors represented by the credits would for 
                  purposes of the Clean Air Act be deemed to assist in 
                  achieving compliance.
                      (F) The Federal Government would explore means to 
                  facilitate the transfer of emission credits between 
                  participating employers and regulated and other 
                  entities.
      (c) Sites for Operation of Pilot Program.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary shall ensure that the design 
          developed under subsection (a) includes recommendations for 
          carrying out the proposed pilot program described in subsection 
          (b) in each of the following geographic areas:
                      (A) The greater metropolitan region of the District 
                  of Columbia (including areas in the States of Maryland 
                  and Virginia).
                      (B) The greater metropolitan region of Los Angeles, 
                  in the State of California.
                      (C) Three additional areas to be selected by the 
                  Secretary, after consultation with the grantee under 
                  subsection (a).
              (2) Consultation.--The Secretary shall require that, in 
          carrying out paragraph (1) with respect to a geographic area, 
          the grantee under subsection (a) consult with local governments 
          and business organizations in the geographic area.
      (d) Study and Report.--The Secretary shall require that, in 
  developing the design under subsection (a), the grantee under such 
  subsection study and report to the Congress and to the Secretary the 
  potential significance of the proposed pilot program described in 
  subsection (b) as an incentive for expanding telecommuting and reducing 
  VMTs in the geographic areas for which the design is developed, and the 
  extent to which the program would have positive effects on--
              (1) national, State, and local transportation and 
          infrastructure policies;
              (2) energy conservation and consumption;
              (3) national, State, and local air quality; and
              (4) individual, family, and community quality of life.
      (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of making the 
  grant under subsection (a), there is authorized to be appropriated 
  $250,000 for fiscal year 2000. Amounts appropriated under the preceding 
  sentence are available until expended.
target: National Telecommuting and Air Quality Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to make a grant to a nonprofit private entity (specifically, the National Environmental Policy Institute, if it applies) for the purpose of developing a design for a proposed ozone precursor credit-trading pilot program in which: (1) methods would be evaluated and developed for calculating reductions in emissions of ozone precursors (air pollutants) that can be achieved as a result of reduced vehicle-miles-traveled (VMTs) by telecommuting employees; (2) regulated entities would present emission credits to the Federal Government or to the State (as applicable under the Clean Air Act) and the amounts of reductions in emissions of air pollutants represented by such credits would be for purposes of compliance with the Clean Air Act; and (3) the Federal Government would explore means to facilitate the transfer of emission credits between participating employers and regulated and other entities.  Sets forth recommended sites for the operation of such pilot program, including: (1) the greater metropolitan region of the District of Columbia (including areas in Maryland and Virginia); (2) the greater metropolitan region of Los Angeles, California; and (3) three additional areas to be selected by the Secretary. 
  Directs the Secretary to require the grantee to study and report to Congress and to the Secretary on the potential significance of the proposed pilot program as an incentive for expanding telecommuting and reducing VMTs in the geographic areas, and the extent to which it would have positive effects on national, State, and local air quality and energy conservation and consumption.  Authorizes appropriations.
feat_title: National Telecommuting and Air Quality Act