§ 120. Federal share payable

(a) Interstate System Projects.—

(1) In general.— Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the Federal share payable on account of any project on the Interstate System (including a project to add high occupancy vehicle lanes and a project to add auxiliary lanes but excluding a project to add any other lanes) shall be 90 percent of the total cost thereof, plus a percentage of the remaining 10 percent of such cost in any State containing unappropriated and unreserved public lands and nontaxable Indian lands, individual and tribal, exceeding 5 percent of the total area of all lands therein, equal to the percentage that the area of such lands in such State is of its total area; except that such Federal share payable on any project in any State shall not exceed 95 percent of the total cost of such project.

(2) State-determined lower federal share.— In the case of any project subject to paragraph (1), a State may determine a lower Federal share than the Federal share determined under such paragraph.

(b) Other Projects.— Except as otherwise provided in this title, the Federal share payable on account of any project or activity carried out under this title (other than a project subject to subsection (a)) shall be—

(1) 80 percent of the cost thereof, except that in the case of any State containing nontaxable Indian lands, individual and tribal, and public domain lands (both reserved and unreserved) exclusive of national forests and national parks and monuments, exceeding 5 percent of the total area of all lands therein, the Federal share, for purposes of this chapter, shall be increased by a percentage of the remaining cost equal to the percentage that the area of all such lands in such State, is of its total area; or

(2) 80 percent of the cost thereof, except that in the case of any State containing nontaxable Indian lands, individual and tribal, public domain lands (both reserved and unreserved), national forests, and national parks and monuments, the Federal share, for purposes of this chapter, shall be increased by a percentage of the remaining cost equal to the percentage that the area of all such lands in such State is of its total area;

except that the Federal share payable on any project in a State shall not exceed 95 percent of the total cost of any such project. In any case where a State elects to have the Federal share provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the State must enter into an agreement with the Secretary covering a period of not less than 1 year, requiring such State to use solely for purposes eligible for assistance under this title (other than paying its share of projects approved under this title) during the period covered by such agreement the difference between the State’s share as provided in paragraph (2) and what its share would be if it elected to pay the share provided in paragraph (1) for all projects subject to such agreement. In the case of any project subject to this subsection, a State may determine a lower Federal share than the Federal share determined under the preceding sentences of this subsection.

(1) Certain safety projects.— The Federal share payable on account of any project for traffic control signalization, traffic circles (also known as “roundabouts”), safety rest areas, pavement marking, commuter carpooling and vanpooling, rail-highway crossing closure, or installation of traffic signs, traffic lights, guardrails, impact attenuators, concrete barrier endtreatments, breakaway utility poles, or priority control systems for emergency vehicles or transit vehicles at signalized intersections may amount to 100 percent of the cost of construction of such projects; except that not more than 10 percent of all sums apportioned for all the Federal-aid systems for any fiscal year in accordance with section 104 of this title shall be used under this subsection. In this subsection, the term “safety rest area” means an area where motor vehicle operators can park their vehicles and rest, where food, fuel, and lodging services are not available, and that is located on a segment of highway with respect to which the Secretary determines there is a shortage of public and private areas at which motor vehicle operators can park their vehicles and rest.

(2) CMAQ projects.— The Federal share payable on account of a project or program carried out under section 149 with funds obligated in fiscal year 2008 or 2009, or both, shall be not less than 80 percent and, at the discretion of the State, may be up to 100 percent of the cost thereof.

(d) The Secretary may rely on a statement from the Secretary of the Interior as to the area of the lands referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of this section. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to provide such statement annually.

(e) Emergency Relief.— The Federal share payable on account of any repair or reconstruction provided for by funds made available under section 125 of this title on account of any project on a Federal-aid highway, including the Interstate System, shall not exceed the Federal share payable on a project on such highway as provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this section; except that

(1) the Federal share payable for eligible emergency repairs to minimize damage, protect facilities, or restore essential traffic accomplished within 180 days after the actual occurrence of the natural disaster or catastrophic failure may amount to 100 percent of the costs thereof; and

(2) the Federal share payable on account of any repair or reconstruction of forest highways, forest development roads and trails, park roads and trails, parkways, public lands highways, public lands development roads and trails, and Indian reservation roads may amount to 100 percent of the cost thereof. The total cost of a project may not exceed the cost of repair or reconstruction of a comparable facility. As used in this section with respect to bridges and in section 144 of this title, “a comparable facility” shall mean a facility which meets the current geometric and construction standards required for the types and volume of traffic which such facility will carry over its design life.

(f) The Secretary is authorized to cooperate with the State transportation departments and with the Department of the Interior in the construction of Federal-aid highways within Indian reservations and national parks and monuments under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior and to pay the amount assumed therefor from the funds apportioned in accordance with section 104 of this title to the State wherein the reservations and national parks and monuments are located.

(g) At the request of any State, the Secretary may from time to time enter into agreements with such State to reimburse the State for the Federal share of the costs of preliminary and construction engineering at an agreed percentage of actual construction costs for each project, in lieu of the actual engineering costs for such project. The Secretary shall annually review each such agreement to insure that such percentage reasonably represents the engineering costs actually incurred by such State.

(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or of this title, the Federal share payable on account of any project under this title in the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shall be 100 per centum of the total cost of the project.

(i) Increased Non-Federal Share.— Notwithstanding any other provision of this title and subject to such criteria as the Secretary may establish, a State may contribute an amount in excess of the non-Federal share of a project under this title so as to decrease the Federal share payable on such project.

(j) Credit for Non-Federal Share.—

(1) Eligibility.—

(A) In general.— A State may use as a credit toward the non-Federal share requirement for any funds made available to carry out this title (other than the emergency relief program authorized by section 125 and the Appalachian development highway system program under section 14501 of title 40) or chapter 53 of title 49 toll revenues that are generated and used by public, quasi-public, and private agencies to build, improve, or maintain highways, bridges, or tunnels that serve the public purpose of interstate commerce.

(B) Special rule for use of federal funds.— If the public, quasi-public, or private agency has built, improved, or maintained the facility using Federal funds, the credit under this paragraph shall be reduced by a percentage equal to the percentage of the total cost of building, improving, or maintaining the facility that was derived from Federal funds.

(C) Federal funds defined.— In this paragraph, the term “Federal funds” does not include loans of Federal funds or other financial assistance that must be repaid to the Government.

(2) Maintenance of effort.—

(A) In general.— The credit for any non-Federal share provided under this subsection shall not reduce nor replace State funds required to match Federal funds for any program under this title.

(B) Condition on receipt of credit.— To receive a credit under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, a State shall enter into such agreement as the Secretary may require to ensure that the State will maintain its non-Federal transportation capital expenditures in such fiscal year at or above the average level of such expenditures for the preceding 3 fiscal years; except that if, for any 1 of the preceding 3 fiscal years, the non-Federal transportation capital expenditures of the State were at a level that was greater than 130 percent of the average level of such expenditures for the other 2 of the preceding 3 fiscal years, the agreement shall ensure that the State will maintain its non-Federal transportation capital expenditures in the fiscal year of the credit at or above the average level of such expenditures for the other 2 fiscal years.

(C) Transportation capital expenditures defined.— In subparagraph (B), the term “non-Federal transportation capital expenditures” includes any payments made by the State for issuance of transportation-related bonds.

(3) Treatment.—

(A) Limitation on liability.— Use of a credit for a non-Federal share under this subsection that is received from a public, quasi-public, or private agency—

(i) shall not expose the agency to additional liability, additional regulation, or additional administrative oversight; and

(ii) shall not subject the agency to any additional Federal design standards or laws (including regulations) as a result of providing the non-Federal share other than those to which the agency is already subject.

(B) Chartered multistate agencies.— When a credit that is received from a chartered multistate agency is applied to a non-Federal share under this subsection, such credit shall be applied equally to all charter States.

(k) Use of Federal Land Management Agency Funds.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the funds appropriated to any Federal land management agency may be used to pay the non-Federal share of the cost of any project the Federal share of which is funded under this title or chapter 53 of title 49.

(l) Use of Federal Lands Highways Program Funds.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the funds authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Federal lands highways program under section 204 may be used to pay the non-Federal share of the cost of any project that is funded under this title or chapter 53 of title 49 and that provides access to or within Federal or Indian lands.

U.S. Code

§ 120. Federal share payable