text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Residential and Commuter Toll 
  Fairness Act of 2009''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
              (1) Residents of various localities and political 
          subdivisions throughout the United States are subject to tolls, 
          user fees, and fares to access certain roads, highways, 
          bridges, railroads, busses, ferries, and other transportation 
          systems.
              (2) Revenue generated from transportation tolls, user fees, 
          and fares is used to support various infrastructure maintenance 
          and capital improvement projects that directly benefit 
          commuters and indirectly benefit the regional and national 
          economy.
              (3) Residents of certain municipalities, counties, and 
          other localities endure significant or disproportionate toll, 
          user fee, or fare burdens compared to others who have a greater 
          number of transportation options because such residents--
                      (A) live in geographic areas that are not 
                  conveniently located to the access points for roads, 
                  highways, bridges, rail, busses, ferries, and other 
                  transportation systems;
                      (B) live on islands, peninsulas, or in other places 
                  that are only accessible through a means that requires 
                  them to pay a toll, user fee, or fare; or
                      (C) are required to pay much more for 
                  transportation access than residents of surrounding 
                  jurisdictions, or in other jurisdictions across the 
                  country, for similar transportation options.
              (4) To address this inequality, and to reduce the financial 
          hardship often imposed on such residents, several State and 
          municipal governments and multi-State transportation 
          authorities have established programs that authorize discounted 
          transportation tolls, user fees, and fares for such residents.
              (5) Transportation toll, user fee, and fare discount 
          programs based on residential status--
                      (A) address actual unequal and undue financial 
                  burdens placed on residents who live in areas that are 
                  only accessible through a means that requires them to 
                  pay a toll, user fee, or fare;
                      (B) do not disadvantage or discriminate against 
                  those individuals ineligible for residential toll, user 
                  fee, or fare discount programs;
                      (C) are not designed to favor the interests or 
                  promote the domestic industry or economic development 
                  of the State implementing such programs;
                      (D) do not interfere or impose undue burdens on 
                  commerce with foreign nations or interfere or impose 
                  any undue burdens on commerce among the several States, 
                  or commerce within particular States;
                      (E) do not interfere or impose undue burdens on the 
                  ability of individuals to travel among, or within, the 
                  several States;
                      (F) do not constitute inequitable treatment or deny 
                  any person within the jurisdiction of the United States 
                  the equal protection of the laws; and
                      (G) do not abridge the privileges or immunities of 
                  citizens of the United States.
      (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
              (1) to clarify the existing authority of States, counties, 
          municipalities, and multi-jurisdictional transportation 
          authorities to establish programs that offer discounted 
          transportation tolls, user fees, and fares for residents in 
          specific geographic areas; and
              (2) to authorize the establishment of such programs, as 
          necessary.
  
  SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF LOCAL RESIDENTIAL OR COMMUTER TOLL, USER FEE 
                OR FARE DISCOUNT PROGRAMS.
  
      (a) Authority To Provide Residential or Commuter Toll, User Fee, or 
  Fare Discount Programs.--States, counties, municipalities, and multi-
  jurisdictional transportation authorities that operate or manage roads, 
  highways, bridges, railroads, busses, ferries, or other transportation 
  systems are authorized to establish programs that offer discounted 
  transportation tolls, user fees, or other fares for residents of 
  specific geographic areas in order to reduce or alleviate toll burdens 
  imposed upon such residents.
      (b) Rulemaking With Respect to the State, Local, or Agency 
  Provision of Toll, User Fee or Fare Discount Programs to Local 
  Residents or Commuters.--States, counties, municipalities, and multi-
  jurisdictional transportation authorities that operate or manage roads, 
  highways, bridges, railroads, busses, ferries, or other transportation 
  systems are authorized to enact such rules or regulations that may be 
  necessary to establish the programs authorized under subsection (a).
      (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act may be construed to 
  limit or otherwise interfere with the authority, as of the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, of States, counties, municipalities, and multi-
  jurisdictional transportation authorities that operate or manage roads, 
  highways, bridges, railroads, busses, ferries, or other transportation 
  systems.
target: Residential and Commuter Toll Fairness Act of 2009 - Grants state, county, and municipal governments, as well as multi-jurisdictional transportation authorities that operate or manage roads, bridges, railroads, buses, ferries, or other transportation systems, rulemaking authority to establish toll, user fee, or fare discount programs for their local residents or commuters.
feat_title: A bill to provide authority and sanction for the granting and issuance of programs for residential and commuter toll, user fee and fare discounts by States, municipalities, other localities, as well as all related agencies and departments thereof, and for other purposes.