USC Subchapter I

in effect

49 U.S.C. § 5501 National Intermodal Transportation System policy

(a) General.—It is the policy of the United States Government to develop a National Intermodal Transportation System that is economically efficient and environmentally sound, provides the foundation for the United States to compete in the global economy, and will move individuals and property in an energy efficient way. (b) System Characteristics.—(1) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall consist of all forms of transportation in a unified, interconnected manner, including the transportation systems of the future, to reduce energy consumption and air pollution while promoting economic development and supporting the United States’ preeminent position in international commerce. (2) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall include a National Highway System consisting of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways and those principal arterial roads that are essential for interstate and regional commerce and travel, national defense, intermodal transfer facilities, and international commerce and border crossings. (3) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall include significant improvements in public transportation necessary to achieve national goals for improved air quality, energy conservation, international competitiveness, and mobility for elderly individuals, individuals with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged individuals in urban and rural areas of the United States. (4) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall provide improved access to ports and airports, the Nation’s link to commerce. (5) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall give special emphasis to the contributions of the transportation sectors to increased productivity growth. Social benefits must be considered with particular attention to the external benefits of reduced air pollution, reduced traffic congestion, and other aspects of the quality of life in the United States. (6) The National Intermodal Transportation System must be operated and maintained with insistent attention to the concepts of innovation, competition, energy efficiency, productivity, growth, and accountability. Practices that resulted in the lengthy and overly costly construction of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways must be confronted and stopped. (7) The National Intermodal Transportation System shall be adapted to “intelligent vehicles”, “magnetic levitation systems”, and other new technologies, wherever feasible and economical, with benefit cost estimates given special emphasis on safety considerations and techniques for cost allocation. (8) When appropriate, the National Intermodal Transportation System will be financed, as regards Government apportionments and reimbursements, by the Highway Trust Fund. Financial assistance will be provided to State and local governments and their instrumentalities to help carry out national goals related to mobility for elderly individuals, individuals with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged individuals. (9) The National Intermodal Transportation System must be the centerpiece of a national investment commitment to create the new wealth of the United States for the 21st century. (c) Distribution and Posting.—The Secretary of Transportation shall distribute copies of the policy in subsections (a) and (b) of this section to each employee of the Department of Transportation and ensure that the policy is posted in all offices of the Department.

49 U.S.C. § 5504 Model intermodal transportation plans

(a) Grants.—The Secretary of Transportation shall make grants to States to develop model State intermodal transportation plans that are consistent with the policy set forth in section 302(e) of this title. The model plans shall include systems for collecting data related to intermodal transportation. (b) Distribution.—The Secretary shall award grants to States under this section that represent a variety of geographic regions and transportation needs, patterns, and modes. (c) Plan Submission.—As a condition to a State receiving a grant under this section, the Secretary shall require that the State provide assurances that the State will submit to the Secretary a State intermodal transportation plan not later than 18 months after the date of receipt of the grant. (d) Grant Amounts.—The Secretary shall reserve, from amounts deducted under section 104(a) of title 23, $3,000,000 to make grants under this section. The total amount that a State may receive in grants under this section may not be more than $500,000.

49 U.S.C. § 5505 University transportation centers program

(a) University Transportation Centers Program.—(1) Establishment and operation.—The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”), shall make grants under this section to eligible nonprofit institutions of higher education to establish and operate university transportation centers. (2) Role of centers.—The role of each university transportation center referred to in paragraph (1) shall be—(A) to advance transportation expertise and technology in the varied disciplines that comprise the field of transportation through education, research, and technology transfer activities; (B) to provide for a critical multimodal transportation knowledge base outside of the Department of Transportation; and (C) to address critical workforce needs and educate the next generation of transportation leaders with respect to the matters described in subparagraphs (A) through (G) of section 6503(c)(1). (b) Competitive Selection Process.—(1) Applications.—To receive a grant under this section, a consortium of nonprofit institutions of higher education shall submit to the Secretary an application that is in such form and contains such information as the Secretary may require. (2) Restriction.—(A) Limitation.—A lead institution of a consortium of nonprofit institutions of higher education, as applicable, may only receive 1 grant per fiscal year as a lead institution under this section, except as provided in subparagraph (B). (B) Exception for consortium members that are not lead institutions.—Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a nonprofit institution of higher education that is a member of a consortium of nonprofit institutions of higher education but not the lead institution of such consortium. (3) Coordination.—The Secretary shall solicit grant applications for national transportation centers, regional transportation centers, and Tier 1 university transportation centers with identical advertisement schedules and deadlines. (4) General selection criteria.—(A) In general.—Except as otherwise provided by this section, the Secretary shall award grants under this section in nonexclusive candidate topic areas established by the Secretary that address the research priorities described in subparagraphs (A) through (G) of section 6503(c)(1). (B) Criteria.—The Secretary, in consultation with the heads of the modal administrations of the Department of Transportation, as appropriate, shall select each recipient of a grant under this section through a competitive process based on the assessment of the Secretary relating to—(i) the demonstrated ability of the recipient to address each specific topic area described in the research and strategic plans of the recipient; (ii) the demonstrated research, technology transfer, and education resources available to the recipient to carry out this section; (iii) the ability of the recipient to provide leadership in solving immediate and long-range national and regional transportation problems; (iv) the ability of the recipient to carry out research, education, and technology transfer activities that are multimodal and multidisciplinary in scope; (v) the demonstrated commitment of the recipient to carry out transportation workforce development programs through—(I) degree-granting programs or programs that provide other industry-recognized credentials; and (II) outreach activities to attract new entrants into the transportation field, including women and underrepresented populations; (vi) the demonstrated ability of the recipient to disseminate results and spur the implementation of transportation research and education programs through national or statewide continuing education programs; (vii) the demonstrated commitment of the recipient to the use of peer review principles and other research best practices in the selection, management, and dissemination of research projects; (viii) the strategic plan submitted by the recipient describing the proposed research to be carried out by the recipient and the performance metrics to be used in assessing the performance of the recipient in meeting the stated research, technology transfer, education, and outreach goals; and (ix) the ability of the recipient to implement the proposed program in a cost-efficient manner, such as through cost sharing and overall reduced overhead, facilities, and administrative costs. (5) Transparency.—(A) In general.—The Secretary shall provide to each applicant, upon request, any materials, including copies of reviews (with any information that would identify a reviewer redacted), used in the evaluation process of the proposal of the applicant. (B) Reports.—The Secretary shall make available to the public on a website of the Department of Transportation a report describing the overall review process under paragraph (4) that includes—(i) specific criteria of evaluation used in the review; (ii) descriptions of the review process; and (iii) explanations of the selected awards. (6) Outside stakeholders.—The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, consult external stakeholders, including the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council of the National Academies, to evaluate and competitively review all proposals. (c) Grants.—(1) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall select grant recipients under subsection (b) and make grant amounts available to the selected recipients. (2) National transportation centers.—(A) In general.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall provide grants to 5 consortia that the Secretary determines best meet the criteria described in subsection (b)(4). (B) Restrictions.—(i) In general.—For each fiscal year, a grant made available under this paragraph shall be not greater than $4,000,000 and not less than $2,000,000 per recipient. (ii) Focused research.—A consortium receiving a grant under this paragraph shall focus research on 1 of the transportation issue areas specified in section 6503(c). (C) Matching requirement.—(i) In general.—As a condition of receiving a grant under this paragraph, a grant recipient shall match 100 percent of the amounts made available under the grant. (ii) Sources.—The matching amounts referred to in clause (i) may include amounts made available to the recipient under—(I) section 504(b) of title 23; or (II) section 505 of title 23. (3) Regional university transportation centers.—(A) Location of regional centers.—One regional university transportation center shall be located in each of the 10 Federal regions that comprise the Standard Federal Regions established by the Office of Management and Budget in the document entitled “Standard Federal Regions” and dated April 1974 (circular A–105). (B) Selection criteria.—In conducting a competition under subsection (b), the Secretary shall provide grants to 10 consortia on the basis of—(i) the criteria described in subsection (b)(4); (ii) the location of the lead center within the Federal region to be served; and (iii) whether the consortium of institutions demonstrates that the consortium has a well-established, nationally recognized program in transportation research and education, as evidenced by—(I) recent expenditures by the institution in highway or public transportation research; (II) a historical track record of awarding graduate degrees in professional fields closely related to highways and public transportation; and (III) an experienced faculty who specialize in professional fields closely related to highways and public transportation. (C) Restrictions.—For each fiscal year, a grant made available under this paragraph shall be not greater than $3,000,000 and not less than $1,500,000 per recipient. (D) Matching requirements.—(i) In general.—As a condition of receiving a grant under this paragraph, a grant recipient shall match 100 percent of the amounts made available under the grant. (ii) Sources.—The matching amounts referred to in clause (i) may include amounts made available to the recipient under—(I) section 504(b) of title 23; or (II) section 505 of title 23. (E) Focused research.—(i) In general.—A regional university transportation center receiving a grant under this paragraph shall carry out research focusing on 1 or more of the matters described in subparagraphs (A) through (G) of section 6503(c)(1). (ii) Focused objectives.—The Secretary shall make a grant to 1 of the 10 regional university transportation centers established under this paragraph for the purpose of furthering the objectives described in subsection (a)(2) in the field of comprehensive transportation safety, congestion, connected vehicles, connected infrastructure, and autonomous vehicles, including the cybersecurity implications of technologies relating to connected vehicles, connected infrastructure, and autonomous vehicles. (4) Tier 1 university transportation centers.—(A) In general.—The Secretary shall provide grants of not greater than $2,000,000 and not less than $1,000,000 to not more than 20 recipients to carry out this paragraph. (B) Matching requirement.—(i) In general.—As a condition of receiving a grant under this paragraph, a grant recipient shall match 50 percent of the amounts made available under the grant. (ii) Sources.—The matching amounts referred to in clause (i) may include amounts made available to the recipient under—(I) section 504(b) of title 23; or (II) section 505 of title 23. (C) Focused research.—In awarding grants under this section, consideration shall be given to minority institutions, as defined by section 365 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067k), or consortia that include such institutions that have demonstrated an ability in transportation-related research. (d) Program Coordination.—(1) In general.—The Secretary shall—(A) coordinate the research, education, and technology transfer activities carried out by grant recipients under this section; and (B) disseminate the results of that research through the establishment and operation of a publicly accessible online information clearinghouse. (2) Review and evaluation.—Not less frequently than biennially, and consistent with the plan developed under section 6503, the Secretary shall—(A) review and evaluate the programs carried out under this section by grant recipients; and (B) make available to the public on a website of the Department of Transportation a report describing that review and evaluation. (3) Program evaluation and oversight.—For each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, the Secretary shall expend not more than 1 and a half percent of the amounts made available to the Secretary to carry out this section for any coordination, evaluation, and oversight activities of the Secretary under this section. (e) Limitation on Availability of Amounts.—Amounts made available to the Secretary to carry out this section shall remain available for obligation by the Secretary for a period of 3 years after the last day of the fiscal year for which the amounts are authorized. (f) Information Collection.—Any survey, questionnaire, or interview that the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out reporting requirements relating to any program assessment or evaluation activity under this section, including customer satisfaction assessments, shall not be subject to chapter 35 of title 44.

49 U.S.C. § 5506 Advanced transportation research initiative

(a) Definition of Eligible Entity.—In this section, the term “eligible entity” means—(1) a State agency; (2) a local government agency; (3) an institution of higher education (as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)), including a university transportation center established under section 5505; (4) a nonprofit organization, including a nonprofit research organization; and (5) a private sector organization working in collaboration with an entity described in any of paragraphs (1) through (4). (b) Pilot Program.—The Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall establish an advanced transportation research pilot program under which the Secretary—(1) shall establish a process for eligible entities to submit to the Secretary unsolicited research proposals; and (2) may enter into arrangements with 1 or more eligible entities to fund research proposed under paragraph (1), in accordance with this section. (c) Eligible Research.—The Secretary may enter into an arrangement with an eligible entity under this section to fund research that—(1) addresses—(A) a research need identified by—(i) the Secretary; or (ii) the Administrator of a modal administration of the Department of Transportation; or (B) an issue that the Secretary determines to be important; and (2) is not duplicative of—(A) any other Federal research project; or (B) any project for which funding is provided by another Federal agency. (d) Project Review.—The Secretary shall—(1) review each research proposal submitted under the pilot program established under subsection (b); and (2)(A) if funding is denied for the research proposal—(i) provide to the eligible entity that submitted the proposal a written notice of the denial that, as applicable—(I) explains why the research proposal was not selected, including whether the research proposal fails to cover an area of need; and (II) recommends that the research proposal be submitted to another research program; and (ii) if the Secretary recommends that the research proposal be submitted to another research program under clause (i)(II), provide guidance and direction to—(I) the eligible entity; and (II) the proposed research program office; or (B) if the research proposal is selected for funding—(i) provide to the eligible entity that submitted the proposal a written notice of the selection; and (ii) seek to enter into an arrangement with the eligible entity to provide funding for the proposed research. (e) Coordination.—(1) In general.—The Secretary shall ensure that the activities carried out under subsection (c) are coordinated with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, programs of the Department of Transportation and other Federal agencies. (2) Intraagency coordination.—The Secretary shall coordinate the research carried out under this section with—(A) the research, education, and technology transfer activities carried out by grant recipients under section 5505; and (B) the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities of other relevant programs of the Department of Transportation, including all modal administrations of the Department. (3) Interagency collaboration.—The Secretary shall coordinate, as appropriate, regarding fundamental research with the potential for application in the transportation sector with—(A) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; (B) the Director of the National Science Foundation; (C) the Secretary of Energy; (D) the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; (E) the Secretary of Homeland Security; (F) the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; (G) the Secretary of Defense; and (H) the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, as determined by the Secretary. (f) Review, Evaluation, and Report.—Not less frequently than biennially, in accordance with the plan developed under section 6503, the Secretary shall—(1) review and evaluate the pilot program established under subsection (b), including the research carried out under that pilot program; and (2) make public on a website of the Department of Transportation a report describing the review and evaluation under paragraph (1). (g) Federal Share.—(1) In general.—The Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out under this section shall not exceed 80 percent. (2) Non-federal share.—All costs directly incurred by the non-Federal partners (including personnel, travel, facility, and hardware development costs) shall be credited toward the non-Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out under this section. (h) Limitation on Certain Expenses.—Of any amounts made available to carry out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary may use not more than 1.5 percent for coordination, evaluation, and oversight activities under this section. (i) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

49 U.S.C. § 5507 Transportation workforce outreach program

(a) In General.—The Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall establish and administer a transportation workforce outreach program, under which the Secretary shall carry out a series of public service announcement campaigns during each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. (b) Purposes.—The purpose of the campaigns carried out under the program under this section shall be—(1) to increase awareness of career opportunities in the transportation sector, including aviation pilots, safety inspectors, mechanics and technicians, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, truck and bus drivers, engineers, transit workers, railroad workers, and other transportation professionals; and (2) to target awareness of professional opportunities in the transportation sector to diverse segments of the population, including with respect to race, sex, ethnicity, ability (including physical and mental ability), veteran status, and socioeconomic status. (c) Advertising.—The Secretary may use, or authorize the use of, amounts made available to carry out the program under this section for the development, production, and use of broadcast, digital, and print media advertising and outreach in carrying out a campaign under this section. (d) Funding.—The Secretary may use to carry out this section any amounts otherwise made available to the Secretary, not to exceed $5,000,000, for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.