Reconnecting Communities Act

This bill establishes a grant program to remove, retrofit, or otherwise address infrastructural barriers (e.g., highways, railways, or viaducts) that impede mobility and connectivity, with a particular focus on communities of color and low-income communities.

Under this program, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must award three types of grants:

• community engagement, education, and capacity-building grants to educate and involve community members in transportation and economic development planning;
• planning and feasibility study grants to develop designs, conduct environmental reviews, and carry out other preliminary activities required to remove, retrofit, or mitigate an infrastructural barrier; and
• capital construction grants to remove, retrofit, or mitigate an infrastructure barrier.

DOT must award the community engagement, education, and capacity-building grants and the planning and feasibility study grants to state, tribal, and local governments; metropolitan planning organizations; and nonprofits. An eligible entity may apply for and receive funding from more than one type of grant.

DOT must award the capital construction grants to the owner of an infrastructure barrier. The owner may, if applicable, partner with other eligible entities.