[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 23USC508]
TITLE 23--HIGHWAYS
CHAPTER 5--RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
Sec. 508. Surface transportation research strategic planning
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall--
(1) establish a strategic planning process, consistent with
section 306 of title 5 for the Department of Transportation to
determine national transportation research and technology
development priorities related to surface transportation;
(2) coordinate Federal surface transportation research and
technology development activities;
(3) measure the results of those activities and how they impact
the performance of the surface transportation systems of the United
States; and
(4) ensure that planning and reporting activities carried out
under this section are coordinated with all other surface
transportation planning and reporting requirements.
(b) Implementation.--The Secretary shall--
(1) provide for the integrated planning, coordination, and
consultation among the operating administrations of the Department
of Transportation, all other Federal agencies with responsibility
for surface transportation research and technology development,
State and local governments, institutions of higher education,
industry, and other private and public sector organizations engaged
in surface transportation-related research and development
activities;
(2) ensure that the surface transportation research and
technology development programs of the Department do not duplicate
other Federal, State, or private sector research and development
programs; and
(3) provide for independent validation of the scientific and
technical assumptions underlying the surface transportation research
and technology development programs of the Department.
(c) Surface Transportation Research and Technology Development
Strategic Plan.--
(1) Development.--The Secretary shall develop an integrated
surface transportation research and technology development strategic
plan.
(2) Contents.--The plan shall include--
(A) an identification of the general goals and objectives of
the Department of Transportation for surface transportation
research and development;
(B) a description of the roles of the Department and other
Federal agencies in achieving the goals identified under
subparagraph (A), in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of
effort;
(C) a description of the overall strategy of the Department,
and the role of each of the operating administrations of the
Department, in carrying out the plan over the next 5 years,
including a description of procedures for coordination of the
efforts of the Secretary with the efforts of the operating
administrations of the Department and other Federal agencies;
(D) an assessment of how State and local research and
technology development activities are contributing to the
achievement of the goals identified under subparagraph (A);
(E) details of the surface transportation research and
technology development programs of the Department, including
performance goals, resources needed to achieve those goals, and
performance indicators as described in section 1115(a) of title
31, United States Code, for the next 5 years for each area of
research and technology development;
(F) significant comments on the plan obtained from outside
sources; and
(G) responses to significant comments obtained from the
National Research Council and other advisory bodies, and a
description of any corrective actions taken pursuant to such
comments.
(3) National research council review.--The Secretary shall enter
into an agreement for the review by the National Research Council of
the details of each--
(A) strategic plan or revision required under section 306 of
title 5;
(B) performance plan required under section 1115 of title
31; and
(C) program performance report required under section 1116,
with respect to surface transportation research and technology
development.
(4) Performance plans and reports.--In reports submitted under
sections 1115 and 1116 of title 31, the Secretary shall include--
(A) a summary of the results for the previous fiscal year of
surface transportation research and technology development
programs to which the Department of Transportation contributes,
along with--
(i) an analysis of the relationship between those
results and the goals identified under paragraph (2)(A); and
(ii) a description of the methodology used for assessing
the results; and
(B) a description of significant surface transportation
research and technology development initiatives, if any,
undertaken during the previous fiscal year that were not in the
plan developed under paragraph (1), and any significant changes
in the plan from the previous year's plan.
(d) Merit Review and Performance Measurement.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall
transmit to Congress a report describing competitive merit review
procedures for use in selecting grantees and contractors in the programs
covered by the plan developed under subsection (c) and performance
measurement procedures for evaluating the programs.
(e) Procurement Procedures.--The Secretary shall--
(1) develop model procurement procedures that encourage the use
of advanced technologies; and
(2) develop model transactions for carrying out and coordinating
Federal and State surface transportation research and technology
development activities.
(f) Consistency With Government Performance and Results Act of
1993.--The plans and reports developed under this section shall be
consistent with and incorporated as part of the plans developed under
section 306 of title 5 and sections 1115 and 1116 of title 31.
(Added Pub. L. 105-178, title V, Sec. 5108, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat.
435.)
References in Text
Section 1116, referred to in subsec. (c)(3)(C), probably is a
reference to section 1116 of Title 31, Money and Finance. No section
1116 of this title has been enacted.
The date of enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (d),
is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 105-178, which was approved June 9,
1998.
The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, referred to in
subsec. (f), is Pub. L. 103-62, Aug. 3, 1993, 107 Stat. 285, which
enacted sections 1115 to 1119, 9703, and 9704 of Title 31, Money and
Finance, section 306 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees,
and sections 2801 to 2805 of Title 39, Postal Service, amended section
1105 of Title 31, and enacted provisions set out as notes under sections
1101 and 1115 of Title 31. For complete classification of this Act to
the Code, see Short Title of 1993 Amendment note set out under section
1101 of Title 31 and Tables.
Prior Provisions
Sections 508 to 512 of this title were repealed by Pub. L. 91-646,
title II, Sec. 220(a)(10), Jan. 2, 1971, 84 Stat. 1903.
Section 508, added Pub. L. 90-495, Sec. 30, Aug. 23, 1968, 82 Stat.
833, related to highway relocation services.
Section 509, added Pub. L. 90-495, Sec. 30, Aug. 23, 1968, 82 Stat.
833, related to relocation assistance programs on Federal highway
projects.
Section 510, added Pub. L. 91-605, title I, Sec. 117(b), Dec. 31,
1970, 84 Stat. 1724, related to construction of replacement housing.
Section 511, formerly 510, added Pub. L. 90-495, Sec. 30, Aug. 23,
1968, 82 Stat. 834; renumbered Sec. 511, Pub. L. 91-605, title I,
Sec. 117(a), Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1724, related to authority of
Secretary.
Section 512, formerly 511, added Pub. L. 90-495, Sec. 30, Aug. 23,
1968, 82 Stat. 834; renumbered Sec. 512, Pub. L. 91-605, title I,
Sec. 117(a), Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1724, related to definitions for
chapter.
Surface Transportation Research and Development Planning
Pub. L. 102-240, title VI, Sec. 6009, Dec. 18, 1991, 105 Stat. 2175,
as amended by Pub. L. 104-59, title III, Sec. 338(c)(1), Nov. 28, 1995,
109 Stat. 604, provided that:
``(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
``(1) despite an annual expenditure in excess of $10,000,000,000
on surface transportation and its infrastructure, the Federal
Government has not developed a clear vision of--
``(A) how the surface transportation systems of the 21st
century will differ from the present;
``(B) how they will interface with each other and with other
forms of transportation;
``(C) how such systems will adjust to changing American
population patterns and lifestyles; and
``(D) the role of federally funded research and development
in ensuring that appropriate transportation systems are
developed and implemented;
``(2) the population of the United States is projected to
increase by over 30,000,000 people within the next 20 years, mostly
in existing major metropolitan areas, which will result in increased
traffic congestion within and between urban areas, more accidents,
loss of productive time, and increased cost of transportation unless
new technologies are developed to improve public transportation
within cities and to move people and goods between cities;
``(3) 18,000,000 crashes, 4,000,000 injuries, and 45,000
fatalities each year on the Nation's highways are intolerable and
substantial research is required in order to develop safer
technologies in their most useful and economic forms;
``(4) current research and development funding for surface
transportation is insufficient to provide the United States with the
technologies essential to providing its own advanced transportation
systems in the future and, as a result, the United States is
becoming increasingly dependent on foreign surface transportation
technologies and equipment to meet its expanding surface
transportation needs;
``(5) a more active, focused surface transportation research and
development program involving cooperation among the Federal
Government, United States based industry, and United States
universities should be organized on a priority basis;
``(6) intelligent transportation systems represent the best
near-term technology for improving surface transportation for public
benefit by providing equipment which can improve traffic flow and
provide for enhanced safety;
``(7) research and development programs related to surface
transportation are fragmented and dispersed throughout government
and need to be strengthened and incorporated in an integrated
framework within which a consensus on the goals of a national
surface transportation research and development program must be
developed;
``(8) the inability of government agencies to cooperate
effectively, the difficulty of obtaining public support for new
systems and rights-of-way, and the high cost of capital financing
discourage private firms from investing in the development of new
transportation equipment and systems; therefore, the Federal
Government should sponsor and coordinate research and development of
new technologies to provide safer, more convenient, and affordable
transportation systems for use in the future; and
``(9) an effective high technology applied research and
development program should be implemented quickly by strengthening
the Department of Transportation research and development staff and
by contracting with private industry for specific development
projects.
``(b) Surface Transportation Research and Development Plan.--
``(1) Development.--The Secretary shall develop an integrated
national surface transportation research and development plan
(hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the `plan').
``(2) Focus.--The plan shall focus on surface transportation
systems needed for urban, suburban, and rural areas in the next
decade.
``(3) Contents.--The plan shall include the following:
``(A) Details of the Department's surface transportation
research and development programs, including appropriate funding
levels and a schedule with milestones, preliminary cost
estimates, appropriate work scopes, personnel requirements, and
estimated costs and goals for the next 3 years for each area of
research and development.
``(B) A 10-year projection of long-term programs in surface
transportation research and development and recommendations for
the appropriate source or mechanism for surface transportation
research and development funding, taking into account
recommendations of the Research and Development Coordinating
Council of the Department of Transportation and the plan of the
National Council on Surface Transportation Research.
``(C) Recommendations on changes needed to assure that
Federal, State, and local contracting procedures encourage the
adoption of advanced technologies developed as a consequence of
the research programs in this Act [Pub. L. 102-240, see Tables
for classification].
``(4) Objectives.--The plan shall provide for the following:
``(A) The development, within the shortest period of time
possible, of a range of technologies needed to produce
convenient, safe, and affordable modes of surface transportation
to be available for public use beginning in the mid-1990's.
``(B) Maintenance of a long-term advanced research and
development program to provide for next generation surface
transportation systems.
``(5) Cooperation with industry.--A primary component of the
plan shall be cooperation with industry in carrying
