PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Congressional Research Service
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People & committees
Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10] · D–CA
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 11, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-08-03 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This bill would allow grants to state and local governments to develop ways of using part of the economic value created by government investments to help fund public transportation and affordable development near transit. Applicants would have to explain how the grants would increase transit capacity and ridership and reduce emissions, driving, and congestion. Recipients would face requirements to maintain their own funding and pay local prevailing construction wages. The bill would also require voluntary national guidance.
The Secretary may make a grant available to a State or local government
the term value capture means capturing a portion of the incremental economic value created by government investments, activities, and policies that may generate alternative revenue streams, assets, or other financial value for which could assist in funding those investments and activities
develop more State and local value capture mechanisms for long-term funding that promote mobility, public transportation, and affordable transit-oriented development
the grantee shall include in its application an explanation of how the grant funds will demonstrably increase transit capacity and ridership and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and congestion.
a grantee also needs to include in its application a certification to maintain the same funding level as the aggregate expenditures at or above the average level of expenditures in the 2 fiscal years prior to the date of enactment of this section.
laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors in construction work financed by a grant made under this section will be paid wages not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality
shall establish voluntary and consensus-based value capture standards, policies, and best practices
Section 1 would name the legislation the Incentivizing Value Capture for Greener Transportation Act.
This Act may be cited as the Incentivizing Value Capture for Greener Transportation Act.
Section 2 presents increased transit use and investment as ways to reduce driving, congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, and reliance on fossil fuels. These are the bill's stated findings and rationale, not demonstrated results of the proposed program.
Congress finds the following:
Increasing transit ridership and improving our transit systems in urban, suburban, and exurban areas, using innovative solutions such as land value capture, will help reduce VMT, congestion, GHG emissions, and reliance on fossil fuels and vehicles. By reducing such factors, the United States can help curb the effects of climate change.
Section 3 would add a new section 5341 to federal transportation law. It would allow, but not require, the Secretary to award state and local governments grants for developing value capture funding, improving transportation, and building partnerships for sustained investment in transit, inclusive economic development, and affordable development near transit.
Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 5341. Technical assistance and value capture policy
The Secretary may make a grant available to a State or local government if the Secretary determines that such grant will assist recipients under this section to— (A) develop more State and local value capture mechanisms for long-term funding that promote mobility, public transportation, and affordable transit-oriented development; (B) improve public transportation and mobility; and (C) develop strategic partnerships that create greater self-help capacity that leads to greater long term and robust investments in public transportation, mobility, inclusive economic development, and affordable transit-oriented development.
“Value capture” means using a portion of the added economic value created by government investments, activities, or policies to help finance those investments and activities. The definition allows revenue, assets, or other financial value.
the term value capture means capturing a portion of the incremental economic value created by government investments, activities, and policies that may generate alternative revenue streams, assets, or other financial value for which could assist in funding those investments and activities
Development near transit would mean a mix of commercial, residential, office, and entertainment uses around or near a public transportation station that promotes affordable housing and commercial space. Housing would qualify as affordable when its cost does not exceed 30 percent of a family's income. Affordable commercial space would mean below-market rent space dedicated to protecting or promoting small and disadvantaged businesses.
the term transit-oriented development means a mix of commercial, residential, office, and entertainment centered around or located near a public transportation station that promotes affordable housing and commercial space
the term affordable housing means housing, the cost of which does not exceed 30 percent of the income of a family
the term affordable commercial space means commercial space dedicated to either protect or promote small and disadvantage businesses provided below market rent value.
Grant applicants would have to explain how the money would demonstrably increase transit capacity and ridership and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, total miles driven, and congestion. Within three years after receiving a grant, recipients would have to evaluate whether the money produced those results.
To be eligible for a grant under this section, the grantee shall include in its application an explanation of how the grant funds will demonstrably increase transit capacity and ridership and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and congestion.
Not later than 3 years after receiving a grant under this section, the grantee shall assess the effectiveness of the use of the funds by evaluating whether the funds created a demonstrable increase in transit capacity and ridership and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and congestion.
Applicants would have to certify that they would maintain funding at least at the average expenditure level of the two fiscal years before enactment. This is the bill's maintenance-of-effort requirement: recipients would commit to maintaining their own financial support.
a grantee also needs to include in its application a certification to maintain the same funding level as the aggregate expenditures at or above the average level of expenditures in the 2 fiscal years prior to the date of enactment of this section.
During a grant year, a reduction from the previous fiscal year in the specified state or local support for value capture, public transportation, or affordable development near transit would require an equal reduction in support under this program, unless the Secretary granted a waiver.
If a State or local government that receives a grant under this section reduces its combined fiscal effort for value capture initiatives and programs or the aggregate expenditures within the State or local government to support value capture, public transportation, or affordable transit-oriented development programs for any fiscal year that a State or local government receives a grant authorized under this section relative to the previous fiscal year, the Secretary, except as provided in clause (ii), shall reduce support for such State or local government under this section by the same amount as the decline in State or local effort for such fiscal year.
The Secretary could waive the funding-maintenance requirements after a steep financial decline caused by unforeseen economic hardship or a natural disaster that required across-the-board service cuts. A waiver could also cover necessary cuts to specific programs if the government justified why other programs could not be reduced and demonstrated that the covered programs would not be disproportionately harmed.
The Secretary may waive the requirements of this subparagraph if— (I) the Secretary determines that a waiver would be appropriate due to a precipitous decline in the financial resources of a State or local government as a result of unforeseen economic hardship or a natural disaster that has necessitated across-the-board reductions in State or local services, including value capture, public transportation, and affordable transit-oriented development programs; or (II) due to the circumstances of a State or local government requiring reductions in specific programs, if the State or local government presents to the Secretary a justification and demonstration why other programs could not be reduced and how value capture, public transportation, and affordable transit-oriented development programs in the State will not be disproportionately harmed by such State or local action.
For grant-financed construction, the Secretary would have to ensure that contractors' and subcontractors' laborers and mechanics received at least the wages prevailing for similar local construction, as determined by the Secretary of Labor. This is the wage protection the bill calls Davis-Bacon.
The Secretary shall ensure that laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors in construction work financed by a grant made under this section will be paid wages not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality, as determined by the Secretary of Labor under subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40 (commonly known as the Davis-Bacon Act).
The Secretary could revoke grant funds for failure to implement the funding-maintenance and prevailing-wage provisions. The enforcement sentence connects those requirements with “and.”
The Secretary may revoke grant funds provided under this section if a grantee fails to implement the maintenance of effort under paragraph (2)(B) and Davis-Bacon provisions referred to paragraph (3).
Through competitive bidding, the Secretary could contract or make agreements with qualified national nonprofit organizations and universities for technical assistance. That assistance could include guidance on applying foreign value capture models in the United States.
The Secretary, through a competitive bid process, may enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, and other agreements with national nonprofit organizations and universities that have the appropriate demonstrated capacity to provide value capture-related technical assistance under this subsection, including guidance on implementing foreign value capture models within the United States.
Grant money would have to add to, rather than replace, other federal, state, and local public spending on public value capture and affordable development near transit.
Grant funds received under this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, and local public funds expended on public value capture and affordable transit-oriented development programs in the State or local government.
The Secretary would have to establish voluntary, consensus-based value capture standards, policies, and best practices with state transportation departments and regional planning bodies. The stated deadline is October 1 of the fiscal year that begins two years after enactment.
Not later than October 1 of the fiscal year that begins 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary, in collaboration with State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and regional council of governments, shall establish voluntary and consensus-based value capture standards, policies, and best practices for State and local value capture mechanisms that promote greater investments in public transportation and affordable transit-oriented development.
Within 15 months after enactment, the Secretary would have to publish a report cataloging state and local value capture and value sharing laws and policies that promote investment in transit and affordable development near transit. Based on that report, the Secretary would have to identify and distribute successful examples of these approaches.
Not later than 15 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall make available to the public a report cataloging examples of State and local laws and policies that provide for value capture and value sharing that promote greater investment in public transportation and affordable transit-oriented development.
Based on the report required under subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall identify and disseminate examples of best practices where States and local governments have adopted value capture and value sharing mechanisms that have successfully provided for greater investment in public transportation and affordable transit-oriented development.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated August 11, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on August 3, 2026. It does not establish subsequent legislative action or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-08-11T18:14:16Z. 2026-08-03: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 2026-08-03: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-08-03. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the contents or attachment history of other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; the bundle lacks disclosure and report materials that could bear on formal earmark status.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow special exemption, carve-out, or preferential treatment beyond the program's intended beneficiaries and routine administration was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Aug 11, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI