Bill > HR9041

This bill, known as the "America Bikes Act," aims to improve infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians and encourage bicycle use in transit. It proposes several key changes, including expanding the types of projects eligible for federal funding under the Highway Safety Improvement Program to include connecting existing bike and pedestrian paths and reducing safety risks for vulnerable road users, with the possibility of 100% federal funding for such projects. The bill also allows for more flexible financing for certain highway safety projects and increases the federal share for proven safety countermeasures for bicyclists and pedestrians. Additionally, it introduces grant funds for on-bicycle education for students, mandates revisions to federal guidelines on pedestrian and bicycle safety to emphasize practical training and awareness, and increases the federal share for states that employ a Safe Routes to School Coordinator. A significant portion of the bill establishes an "Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program" to fund competitive grants for creating connected networks and "spines" of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, with specific funding allocations for networks connecting to transit and spines connecting communities, and provides higher federal cost-sharing for projects in disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, it temporarily suspends duties on bicycle parts imported for assembly or manufacturing in the U.S. to boost domestic production, expands tax benefits for employers providing qualified bicycle commuting benefits to include electric bicycles and scooters, and reauthorizes the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. Finally, the bill clarifies that accommodating pedestrians and bicyclists on highway bridge deck replacements or rehabilitations is considered a "reasonable cost" if it doesn't exceed 20% of the total project cost, and clarifies that electric bicycles, when permitted by law, are considered a form of bicycling for recreational purposes.