article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``National Telecommuting and Air Quality Act''. SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR DESIGN OF PILOT PROGRAM REGARDING TELECOMMUTING AS MEANS OF IMPROVING AIR QUALITY. (a) In General.-- (1) Grant for design of pilot program.--The Secretary of Transportation (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall make a grant to a nonprofit private entity that is knowledgeable on matters relating to air quality for the purpose of developing a design for the proposed pilot program described in subsection (b). The grant shall be made to the National Environmental Policy Institute (a nonprofit private entity incorporated under the laws of and located in the District of Columbia), if such Institute submits an application for the grant. (2) Administration of program.--The Secretary shall carry out this section (including subsection (c)(1)(C)) in collaboration with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of Energy. (b) Proposed Ozone Precursor Credit-Trading Pilot Program.-- (1) Definitions.--For purposes of this section: (A) The term ``participating employers'' means employers that voluntarily authorize and engage in telecommuting. (B) The term ``telecommuting'' means the use of telecommunications to perform work functions under circumstances in which the use of telecommunications reduces or eliminates the need to commute. (C) The term ``regulated entities'' means entities that are regulated under the Clean Air Act with respect to emissions of one or more ozone precursors. (D) The term ``ozone precursors'' means air pollutants that are precursors of ground level ozone. (E) The term ``VMTs'' means vehicle-miles-traveled. (2) Description of program.--For purposes of subsection (a)(1) and other provisions of this section, the proposed pilot program described in this subsection is a pilot program under which the following would occur: (A) Methods would be evaluated and developed for calculating reductions in emissions of ozone precursors that can be achieved as a result of reduced VMTs by telecommuting employees of participating employers. (B) The estimated reductions in such emissions for the periods of time involved would be deemed to be items that may be transferred by such employers to other persons, and for such purpose the employers would be issued certificates indicating the amount of the reductions achieved for the periods (referred to in this section as ``emission credits'') . (C) A commercial trading and exchange forum would be made available to the public for trading and exchanging emission credits. (D) Through the commercial trading and exchange forum, or through direct trades and exchanges with persons who hold the credits, regulated entities would obtain emission credits. (E) Regulated entities would present emission credits to the Federal Government or to the State involved (as applicable under the Clean Air Act) and the amounts of reductions in emissions of ozone precursors represented by the credits would for purposes of the Clean Air Act be deemed to assist in achieving compliance. (F) The Federal Government would explore means to facilitate the transfer of emission credits between participating employers and regulated and other entities. (c) Sites for Operation of Pilot Program.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary shall ensure that the design developed under subsection (a) includes recommendations for carrying out the proposed pilot program described in subsection (b) in each of the following geographic areas: (A) The greater metropolitan region of the District of Columbia (including areas in the States of Maryland and Virginia). (B) The greater metropolitan region of Los Angeles, in the State of California. (C) Three additional areas to be selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the grantee under subsection (a). (2) Consultation.--The Secretary shall require that, in carrying out paragraph (1) with respect to a geographic area, the grantee under subsection (a) consult with local governments and business organizations in the geographic area. (d) Study and Report.--The Secretary shall require that, in developing the design under subsection (a), the grantee under such subsection study and report to the Congress and to the Secretary the potential significance of the proposed pilot program described in subsection (b) as an incentive for expanding telecommuting and reducing VMTs in the geographic areas for which the design is developed, and the extent to which the program would have positive effects on-- (1) national, State, and local transportation and infrastructure policies; (2) energy conservation and consumption; (3) national, State, and local air quality; and (4) individual, family, and community quality of life. (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of making the grant under subsection (a), there is authorized to be appropriated $250,000 for fiscal year 2000. Amounts appropriated under the preceding sentence are available until expended.
summary: National Telecommuting and Air Quality Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to make a grant to a nonprofit private entity (specifically, the National Environmental Policy Institute, if it applies) for the purpose of developing a design for a proposed ozone precursor credit-trading pilot program in which: (1) methods would be evaluated and developed for calculating reductions in emissions of ozone precursors (air pollutants) that can be achieved as a result of reduced vehicle-miles-traveled (VMTs) by telecommuting employees; (2) regulated entities would present emission credits to the Federal Government or to the State (as applicable under the Clean Air Act) and the amounts of reductions in emissions of air pollutants represented by such credits would be for purposes of compliance with the Clean Air Act; and (3) the Federal Government would explore means to facilitate the transfer of emission credits between participating employers and regulated and other entities. Sets forth recommended sites for the operation of such pilot program, including: (1) the greater metropolitan region of the District of Columbia (including areas in Maryland and Virginia); (2) the greater metropolitan region of Los Angeles, California; and (3) three additional areas to be selected by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to require the grantee to study and report to Congress and to the Secretary on the potential significance of the proposed pilot program as an incentive for expanding telecommuting and reducing VMTs in the geographic areas, and the extent to which it would have positive effects on national, State, and local air quality and energy conservation and consumption. Authorizes appropriations.