UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTERS.

SEC. 314. UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTERS. (a) Grant Program; National Advisory Council.—Section 11(b) of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 is amended to read as follows: “(b) University Transportation Centers.— “(1) Grants for establishment and operation.—In addition to grants authorized by subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary shall make grants to one or more nonprofit institutions of higher learning to establish and operate one regional transportation center in each of the ten Federal regions which comprise the Standard Federal Regional Boundary System. “(2) Responsibilities.—The responsibilities of each transportation center established under this subsection shall include, but not be limited to, the conduct of infrastructure research concerning transportation and research and training concerning transportation of passengers and property and the interpretation, publication, and dissemination of the results of such research. The responsibilities of one of such centers may include research on the testing of new model buses. The program of research at all research centers should cover more than one mode of transportation, and should take into consideration the proportion of funding for this subsection from funding available to carry out urban mass transportation projects under this Act and from the Highway Trust Fund. “(3) Application.—Any nonprofit institution of higher learning interested in receiving a grant under this subsection shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form and containing such information as the Secretary may require by regulation. “(4) Selection criteria.—The Secretary shall select recipients of grants under this subsection on the basis of the following criteria: “(A) The regional transportation center shall be located in a State which is representative of the needs of the Federal region for improved transportation services and facilities. “(B) The demonstrated research and extension resources available to the grant recipient for carrying out this subsection. “(C) The capability of the grant recipient to provide leadership in making national and regional contributions to the solution of both long-range and immediate transportation problems. “(D) The grant recipient shall have an established transportation program or programs encompassing several modes of transportation. “(E) The grant recipient shall have a demonstrated commitment to supporting ongoing transportation research programs with regularly budgeted institutional funds of at least $200,000 per year. “(F) The grant recipient shall have a demonstrated ability to disseminate results of transportation research and educational programs through a statewide or regionwide continuing education program. “(G) The projects which the grant recipient proposes to carry out under the grant. 101 STAT. 231 “(5) Maintenance of effort.—No grant may be made under this section in any fiscal year unless the recipient of such grant enters into such agreements with the Secretary as the Secretary may require to ensure that such recipient will maintain its aggregate expenditures from all other sources for establishing and operating a regional transportation center and related research activities at or above the average level of such expenditures in its 2 fiscal years preceding the date of enactment of this subsection. “(6) Federal share.—The Federal share of a grant under this subsection shall be 50 percent of the costs of establishing and operating the regional transportation center and related research activities carried out by the grant recipient. “(7) National advisory council.— “(A) Establishment; functions.—The Secretary shall establish in the Department of Transportation a national advisory council to coordinate the research and training to be carried out by the grant recipients, to disseminate the results of such research, to act as a clearinghouse between such centers and the transportation industry, and to review and evaluate programs carried out by such centers. “(B) Members.—The council shall be composed of the directors of the regional transportation centers and 19 other members appointed by the Secretary as follows: “(i) Six officers of the Department of Transportation one of whom represents the Office of the Secretary, one of whom represents the Federal Highway Administration, one of whom represents the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, one of whom represents the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one of whom represents the Research and Special Programs Administration, and one of whom represents the Federal Railroad Administration. “(ii) Five representatives of State and local governments. “(iii) Eight representatives of the transportation industry, including private providers of public transportation services, and organizations of employees in such industry. A vacancy in the membership of the council shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made. “(C) Term of office; pay; chairman.—Each of the members appointed by the Secretary shall serve without pay. The chairman of the council shall be designated by the Secretary. “(D) Meetings.—The council shall meet at least annually and at such other times as the chairman may designate. “(E) Agency information.—Subject to subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code, the council may secure directly from any department or agency of the United States information necessary to enable it to carry out this subsection. Upon request of the chairman of the council, the head of such department or agency shall furnish such information to the council. 101 STAT. 232 “(F) Termination date inapplicable.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act shall not apply to the council. “(8) Administration through office of secretary.—Administrative responsibility for carrying out this subsection shall be in the Office of the Secretary. “(9) Allocation of funds.—The Secretary shall allocate funds made available to carry out this subsection equitably among the Federal regions. “(10) Technology transfer set-aside.—Not less than 5 percent of the funds made available to carry out this subsection for any fiscal year shall be available to carry out technology transfer activities.”. (b) Conforming Amendment.—Section 11(a) of such Act is amended by inserting “Grant Program.—” before “The Secretary”.