--- kind: "section" citation: "49 U.S.C. § 70204" title: "49" title_heading: "Transportation" number: "70204" heading: "Multi-State freight corridor planning" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/70204" units: - "Subtitle IX — Multimodal Freight Transportation" - "Chapter 702 — Multimodal Freight Transportation Planning and Information" --- # §70204. Multi-State freight corridor planning - (a) **Consent to Multi-State Freight Mobility Compacts.—** Congress recognizes the right of States, cities, regional planning organizations, federally recognized Indian Tribes, and local public authorities (including public port authorities) that are regionally linked with an interest in a specific nationally or regionally significant multi-State freight corridor to enter into multi-State compacts to promote the improved mobility of goods, including— - (1) identifying projects along the corridor that benefit multiple States; - (2) assembling rights-of-way; and - (3) performing capital improvements. - (b) **Financing.—** A multi-State freight compact established by entities under [subsection (a)](#a) may provide that, in order to carry out the compact, the relevant States or other entities may— - (1) accept contributions from a unit of State or local government; - (2) use any Federal or State funds made available for freight mobility infrastructure planning or construction, including applying for grants; - (3) subject to such terms and conditions as the States consider to be advisable— - (A) borrow money on a short-term basis; and - (B) issue— - (i) notes for borrowing under [subparagraph (A)](#b-3-A); and - (ii) bonds; and - (4) obtain financing by other means permitted under applicable Federal or State law. - (c) **Advisory Committees.—** - (1) **In general.—** A multi-State freight compact under this section may establish a multi-State freight corridor advisory committee, which shall include representatives of State departments of transportation and other public and private sector entities with an interest in freight mobility, such as— - (A) ports; - (B) freight railroads; - (C) shippers; - (D) carriers; - (E) freight-related associations; - (F) third-party logistics providers; - (G) the freight industry workforce; - (H) environmental organizations; - (I) community organizations; and - (J) units of local government. - (2) **Activities.—** An advisory committee established under [paragraph (1)](#c-1) may— - (A) advise the parties to the applicable multi-State freight compact with respect to freight-related priorities, issues, projects, and funding needs that impact multi-State— - (i) freight mobility; and - (ii) supply chains; - (B) serve as a forum for States, Indian Tribes, and other public entities to discuss decisions affecting freight mobility; - (C) communicate and coordinate multi-State freight priorities with other organizations; - (D) promote the sharing of information between the private and public sectors with respect to freight issues; and - (E) provide information for consideration in the development of State freight plans under section 70202. - (d) **Grants.—** - (1) **Establishment.—** The Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall provide grants to multi-State freight compacts, or States seeking to form a multi-State freight compact, that seek to improve a route or corridor that is a part of the National Multimodal Freight Network established under section 70103. - (2) **New compacts.—** - (A) **In general.—** To incentivize the establishment of multi-State freight compacts, the Secretary may award a grant for operations costs in an amount of not more than $2,000,000 to— - (i) a multi-State freight compact established under [subsection (a)](#a) during the 2-year period beginning on the date of establishment of the multi-State freight compact; or - (ii) States seeking to form a multi-State freight compact described in that subsection. - (B) **Eligibility.—** - (i) **New multi-state freight compacts.—** A multi-State freight compact shall be eligible for a grant under this paragraph only during the initial 2 years of operation of the compact. - (ii) **States seeking to form a compact.—** States seeking to form a multi-State freight compact shall be eligible for a grant under this paragraph during— - (I) the 2-year period beginning on the date on which an application for a grant under this paragraph with respect to the proposed compact is submitted to the Secretary; or - (II) if the compact is formed before the date on which a grant under this paragraph is awarded in accordance with [subclause (I)](#d-2-B-ii-I), the initial 2 years of operation of the compact. - (C) **Requirements.—** To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, a multi-State freight compact or the applicable States seeking to form a multi-State freight compact shall— - (i) submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require; - (ii) provide a non-Federal match equal to not less than 25 percent of the operating costs of the multi-State freight compact; and - (iii) commit to establishing a multi-State freight corridor advisory committee under [subsection (c)(1)](#c-1) during the initial 2-year period of operation of the compact. - (3) **Existing compacts.—** - (A) **In general.—** The Secretary may award a grant to multi-State freight compacts that are not eligible to receive a grant under [paragraph (2)](#d-2) for operations costs in an amount of not more than $1,000,000. - (B) **Requirements.—** To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, a multi-State freight compact shall— - (i) submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require; - (ii) provide a non-Federal match of not less than 50 percent of the operating costs of the compact; and - (iii) demonstrate that the compact has established a multi-State freight corridor advisory committee under [subsection (c)(1)](#c-1). - (4) **Authorization of appropriations.—** There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $5,000,000 for each fiscal year to carry out this subsection. ## Source credit (Added Pub. L. 117–58, div. B, title I, § 21106(a)(2), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 659.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### Prior Provisions A prior section 70204 was renumbered section 70206 of this title.