RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.

SEC. 6001. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM. Subsections (a), (b), and (c) of section 307 of title 23, United States Code, are amended to read as follows: “(a) Research and Technology Program — “(1) Authority of the secretary.— “(A) In general.— The Secretary may engage in research, development, and technology transfer activities with respect to motor carrier transportation and all phases of highway planning and development (including construction, operation, modernization, development, design, maintenance, safety, financing, and traffic conditions) and the effect thereon of State laws and may test, develop, or assist in testing and developing any material, invention, patented article, or process. “(B) Cooperation, grants, and contracts.— The Secretary may carry out this section either independently or in cooperation with other Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities or by making grants to, and entering into contracts and cooperative agreements with, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or any State agency, authority, association, institution, corporation (profit or nonprofit), organization, or person. “(C) Research fellowships.— 105 STAT. 2163 “(i) General authority.— The Secretary may, acting either independently or in cooperation with other Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, make grants for research fellowships for any purpose for which research is authorized by this section. “(ii) Dwight david eisenhower transportation fellowship program.— The Secretary shall establish and implement a transportation research fellowship program for the purpose of attracting qualified students to the field of transportation engineering and research. Such program shall be known as the “Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program”. Of the funds made available pursuant to paragraph (3) for each fiscal year beginning after September 30, 1991, the Secretary shall expend not less than $2,000,000 per fiscal year to carry out such program. “(2) Collaborative research and development.— “(A) In general.— For the purposes of encouraging innovative solutions to highway problems and stimulating the marketing of new technology by private industry, the Secretary is authorized to undertake, on a cost-shared basis, collaborative research and development with non-Federal entities, including State and local governments, foreign governments, colleges and universities, corporations, institutions, partnerships, sole proprietorships, and trade associations which are incorporated or established under the laws of any State. “(B) Agreements.— In carrying out this paragraph, the Secretary may enter into cooperative research and development agreements, as such term is defined under section 12 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a). “(C) Federal share.— The Federal share payable on account of activities carried out under a cooperative research and development agreement entered into under this paragraph shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of such activities; except that, if there is substantial public interest or benefit, the Secretary may approve a higher Federal share. All costs directly incurred by the non-Federal partners, including personnel, travel, and hardware development costs, shall be treated as part of the non-Federal share of the cost of such activities for purposes of the preceding sentence. “(D) Utilization of technology.— The research, development, or utilization of any technology pursuant to a cooperative research and development agreement entered into under this paragraph, including the terms under which the technology may be licensed and the resulting royalties may be distributed, shall be subject to the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980. “(3) Funds.— “(A) In general.— The funds necessary to carry out this subsection and subsections (b), (d), and (e) shall be taken by the Secretary out of administrative funds deducted pursuant to section 104(a) of this title and such funds as may be deposited by any cooperating organization or person in a 105 STAT. 2164special account of the Treasury of the United States established for such purposes. “(B) Minimum expenditures on long-term research projects.— Not less than 15 percent of the funds made available under this paragraph shall be expended on long-term research projects which are unlikely to be completed within 10 years. “(4) Waiver of advertising requirements.— The provisions of section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C. 5) shall not be applicable to contracts or agreements entered into under this section. “(b) Mandatory Contents of Research Program.— “(1) Inclusion of certain studies.— The Secretary shall include in the highway research program under subsection (a) studies of economic highway geometries, structures, and desirable weight and size standards for vehicles using the public highways and of the feasibility of uniformity in State regulations with respect to such standards. The highway research program shall also include studies to identify and measure, quantitatively and qualitatively, those factors which relate to economic, social, environmental, and other impacts of highway projects. “(2) SHRP results.— “(A) Implementation.— The highway research program under subsection (a) shall include a program to implement results of the strategic highway research program carried out under subsection (d) (including results relating to automatic intrusion alarms for street and highway construction work zones) and to continue the long-term pavement performance tests being carried out under such program. “(B) Minimum funding.— Of amounts deducted under section 104(a) of this title, the Secretary shall expend not less than $12,000,000 in fiscal year 1992, $16,000,000 in fiscal year 1993, and $20,000,000 per fiscal year for each of fiscal years 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 to carry out this paragraph. “(3) Surface Transportation System Performance Indicators.— The highway research program under subsection (a) shall include a coordinated long-term program of research for the development, use, and dissemination of performance indicators to measure the performance of the surface transportation system of the United States, including indicators for productivity, efficiency, energy use, air quality, congestion, safety, maintenance, and other factors which reflect the overall performance of such system. “(4) Short haul passenger transportation systems.— The Secretary shall conduct necessary systems research in order to develop a concept for a lightweight, pneumatic tire multiple-unit, battery-powered system, in conjunction with recharging stations at strategic locations. The Secretary shall create a potential systems concept and, as part of the surface transportation research and development plan under subsection (b), make recommendations to Congress by January 15, 1993. “(5) Supporting infrastructure.— The Secretary shall establish a program to strengthen and expand surface transportation infrastructure research and development. The program shall include the following elements: 105 STAT. 2165 “(A) Methods and materials for improving the durability of surface transportation infrastructure facilities and extending the life of bridge structures, including new and innovative technologies to reduce corrosion. “(B) Expansion of the Department of Transportation’s inspection and mobile nondestructive examination capabilities, including consideration of the use of high energy field radiography for more thorough and more frequent inspections of bridge structures as well as added support to State highway departments. “(C) The Secretary shall determine whether or not to initiate a construction equipment research and development program directed toward the reduction of costs associated with the construction of highways and mass transit systems. The Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report containing such determination on or before July 1, 1992. “(D) The Secretary shall undertake or supervise surface transportation infrastructure research to develop— “(i) nondestructive evaluation equipment for use with existing infrastructure facilities and for next generation infrastructure facilities that utilize advanced materials; “(ii) information technologies, including— “(I) appropriate computer programs to collect and analyze data on the status of the existing infrastructure facilities for enhancing management, growth, and capacity; and “(II) dynamic simulation models of surface transportation systems for predicting capacity, safety, and infrastructure durability problems, for evaluating planned research projects, and for testing the strengths and weaknesses of proposed revisions in surface transportation operations programs; and “(iii) new and innovative technologies to enhance and facilitate field construction and rehabilitation techniques for minimizing disruption during repair and maintenance of existing structures. “(c) State Planning and Research.— “(1) General rule.— 2 percent of the sums apportioned for each fiscal year beginning after September 30, 1991, to any State under sections 104 and 144 of this title and for highway projects under section 103(e)(4) of this title shall be available for expenditure by the State highway department, in consultation with the Secretary, only for the following purposes: “(A) Engineering and economic surveys and investigations. “(B) The planning of future highway programs and local public transportation systems and for planning for the financing thereof, including statewide planning under section 135 of this title. “(C) Development and implementation of management systems under section 303 of this title. “(D) Studies of the economy, safety, and convenience of highway usage and the desirable regulation and equitable taxation thereof. 105 STAT. 2166 “(E) Research, development, and technology transfer activities necessary in connection with the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of highway, public transportation, and intermodal transportation systems and study, research, and training on engineering standards and construction materials for such systems, including evaluation and accreditation of inspection and testing and the regulation and taxation of their use. “(2) Minimum expenditures on research, development, and technology transfer activities.— Not less than 25 percent of the funds which are apportioned to a State for a fiscal year and are subject to paragraph (1) shall be expended by the State for research, development, and technology transfer activities described in paragraph (1) relating to highway, public transportation, and intermodal transportation systems unless the State certifies to the Secretary for such fiscal year that total expenditures by the State for transportation planning under sections 134 and 135 will exceed 75 percent of the amount of such funds and the Secretary accepts such certification. “(3) Federal share.— The Federal share payable on account of any project financed with funds which are subject to paragraph (1) shall be 80 percent unless the Secretary determines that the interests of the Federal-aid highway program would be best served by decreasing or eliminating the non-Federal share. “(4) Administration of sums.— Funds which are subject to paragraph (1) shall be combined and administered by the Secretary as a single fund which shall be available for obligation for the same period as funds apportioned under section 104(b)(1) of this title.