BUS TESTING FACILITIES.

SEC. 20014. BUS TESTING FACILITIES. Section 5318 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following: “(e) Acquiring New Bus Models. “(1) In general. Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available under this chapter may be obligated or expended to acquire a new bus model only if— “(A) a bus of that model has been tested at a facility authorized under subsection (a); and “(B) the bus tested under subparagraph (A) met— “(i) performance standards for maintainability, reliability, performance (including braking performance), structural integrity, fuel economy, emissions, and noise, as established by the Secretary by rule; and “(ii) the minimum safety performance standards established by the Secretary pursuant to section 5329(b). “(2) Bus test ‘pass/fail’ standard. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Federal Public Transportation Act of 2012, the Secretary shall issue a final rule under subparagraph (B)(i). The final rule issued under paragraph (B)(i) shall include a bus model scoring system that results in a weighted, aggregate score that uses the testing categories under subsection (a) and considers the relative importance of each such testing category. The final rule issued under subparagraph (B)(i) shall establish a ‘pass/fail’ standard that uses the aggregate score described in the preceding sentence. Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available under this chapter may be obligated or expended to acquire a new bus model only if the new bus model has received a passing aggregate test score. The Secretary shall work with the bus testing facility, bus manufacturers, and transit agencies to develop the bus model scoring system under this paragraph. A passing aggregate test score under the rule issued under subparagraph (B)(i) indicates only that amounts appropriated or made available under this chapter may be obligated or expended to acquire a new bus model and shall not be interpreted as a warranty or guarantee that the new bus model will meet a purchaser’s specific requirements.” .