COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEM.

SEC. 4003. COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEM. Part A of title IV of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (49 U.S.C. App. 2301–2305) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 105 STAT. 2145 “SEC. 407. COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEM PROGRAM. “(a) Information System.— “(1) Registration systems review.— Not later than 1 year after the effective date of this section, the Secretary, in cooperation with the States, shall conduct a review of State motor vehicle registration systems pertaining to license tags for commercial motor vehicles in order to determine whether or not such systems could be utilized in carrying out this section. “(2) Establishment.— The Secretary, in cooperation with the States, may establish, as part of the motor carrier safety information network system of the Department of Transportation and similar State systems, an information system which will serve as a clearinghouse and depository of information pertaining to State registration and licensing of commercial motor vehicles and the safety fitness of the registrants of such vehicles. “(3) Operation.— Operation of the information system established under paragraph (2) shall be paid for by a system of user fees. The Secretary may authorize the operation of the information system by contract, through an agreement with a State or States, or by designating, after consultation with the States, a third party which represents the interests of the States. “(4) Data collection and reporting standards.— The Secretary shall establish standards to ensure uniform data collection and reporting by all States necessary to carry out this section and to ensure the availability and reliability of the information to the States and the Secretary from the information system established under paragraph (2). “(5) Type of information.— As part of the information system established under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall include information on the safety fitness of the registrant of the commercial motor vehicle and such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate, including data on vehicle inspections and out-of-service orders. “(b) Demonstration Project.— The Secretary shall make grants to States to carry out a project to demonstrate methods of establishing an information system which will link the motor carrier safety information network system of the Department of Transportation and similar State systems with the motor vehicle registration and licensing systems of the States. The purposes of the project shall be— “(1) to allow a State when issuing license plates for a commercial motor vehicle to determine through use of the information system the safety fitness of the person seeking to register the vehicle; and “(2) to determine the types of sanctions which may be imposed on the registrant, or the types of conditions or limitations which may be imposed on the operations of the registrant, to ensure the safety fitness of the registrant. “(c) Regulations.— The Secretary shall issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section. “(d) Report.— Not later than January 1, 1995, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report assessing the cost and benefits and feasibility of the information system established under this section and, if the Secretary determines that such system would 105 STAT. 2146be beneficial on a nationwide basis, including recommendations on legislation for the nationwide implementation of such system. “(e) Funding.— Funds necessary to carry out this section may be made available by the Secretary as provided in section 404(g)(2) of this title. “(f) Commercial Motor Vehicle Defined.— For purposes of this section, the term ‘commercial motor vehicle’ means any self-propelled or towed vehicle used on highways in intrastate or interstate commerce to transport passengers or property— “(1) if such vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds; “(2) if such vehicle is designed to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver; or “(3) if such vehicle is used in the transportation of materials found by the Secretary to be hazardous for the purposes of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. App. 1801 et seq.) and are transported in a quantity requiring placarding under regulations issued by the Secretary under such Act.”.