Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen

SEC. 6007. [49 U.S.C. 111 note] ADVISORY COUNCIL ON TRANSPORTATION STATISTICS.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.-The Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics shall establish an Advisory Council on Transportation Statistics.

(b) FUNCTION.-It shall be the function of the advisory council established under this section to advise the Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics on transportation statistics and analyses, including whether or not the statistics and analysis disseminated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics are of high quality and are based upon the best available objective information.

(c) MEMBERSHIP.-The advisory council established under this section shall be composed of not more than 6 members appointed by the Director who are not officers or employees of the United States and who (except for 1 member who shall have expertise in economics and 1 member who shall have expertise in statistics) have expertise in transportation statistics and analysis.

(d) APPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.— The Federal Advisory Committee Act shall apply to the advisory council established under this section, except that section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act shall not apply to the Advisory Committee established under this section.

SEC. 6008. [49 U.S.C. 111 note] DOT DATA NEEDS.

(a) STUDY.-Not later than 1 year after the date of the establishment of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on the adequacy of data collection procedures and capabilities of the Department of Transportation.

(b) CONSULTATION.-The Secretary shall enter into the agreement under subsection (a) in consultation with the Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

(c) CONTENTS.-The study under subsection (a) shall include an evaluation of the Department of Transportation's data collection resources, needs, and requirements and an assessment and evaluation of the systems, capabilities, and procedures established by the Department to meet such needs and requirements, including the following:

(1) Data collection procedures and capabilities.

(2) Data analysis procedures and capabilities.

(3) Ability of data bases to integrate with one another.
(4) Computer hardware and software capabilities.

(5) Information management systems, including the ability of information management systems to integrate with one another.

(6) Availability and training of the personnel of the Department.

(7) Budgetary needs and resources of the Department for data collection.

(d) REPORT.-Not later than 18 months after the date of the agreement under subsection (a), the National Academy of Sciences shall transmit to Congress a report on the results of the study under this section, including recommendations for improving the Department of Transportation's data collection systems, capabilities, procedures, and analytical hardware and software and recommendations for improving the Department's management information systems.

SEC. 6009. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING.

(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

(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. (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 mid1990's.

(B) Maintenance of a long-term advanced research and development program to provide for next generation surface transportation systems.

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TAINTISTRY—A primary component (5) COOPERATION Win of the plan shall be cooperation with industry in carrying out this part and strengthening the manufacturing capabilities of United States firms in order to produce products for surface transportation systems.

(6) CONFORMANCE WITH PLAN.-All surface transportation research and development within the Department of Transportation shall be included in the plan and shall be evaluated in accordance with the plan.

(7) COORDINATION.-In developing the plan and carrying out this part, the Secretary shall consult with and, where appropriate, use the expertise of other Federal agencies and their laboratories.

(8) TRANSMITTAL.-On or before January 15, 1993, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall transmit the plan to Congress, together with the Secretary's comments and recommendations. The Secretary shall review and update the plan before each transmittal under this paragraph.

(9) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALTERNATIVES.-In the event a different technology or alternative program can be identified that would accomplish the same or better results than those described in this part, the Secretary may make recommendations for an alternative, and shall promptly report such alternative recommendations to Congress.

SEC. 6010. NATIONAL COUNCIL ON SURFACE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.-There is established a National Council on Surface Transportation Research (hereinafter in this section referred to as the "Council").

(b) FUNCTION.-The Council shall make a complete investigation and study of current surface transportation research and technology developments in the United States and internationally. The Council shall identify gaps and duplication in current surface transportation research efforts, determine research and development areas which may increase efficiency, productivity, safety, and durability in the Nation's surface transportation systems, and propose a national surface transportation research and development plan for immediate implementation.

(c) SPECIFIC MATTERS TO BE ADDRESSED.-The Council shall(1) survey current surface transportation public and private research efforts in the United States and internationally; (2) examine factors which lead to fragmentation of surface transportation research efforts and determine how increased coordination in such efforts may be achieved;

(3) compare the role of the Federal Government with the role of foreign governments in promoting transportation research and evaluate the appropriateness of United States policy on government-sponsored surface transportation research;

(4) identify barriers to innovation in surface transportation systems; (5) examine the range of funding arrangements available for surface transportation research and development and the level of resources currently available for such purposes; and

(6) identify surface transportation research areas and onportunities, including opportunities £--for international cooperation offering potential benefit to the Nation's surface transportation system, assess the relative priority of such research areas and plans, and develop a plan for national surface transportation research and development which includes shortrange and long-range objectives.

(d) MEMBERSHIP.

(1) APPOINTMENT.-The Council shall be composed of 7 members as follows:

(A) Three members appointed by the President.

(B) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(C) One member appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives.

(D) One member appointed by the majority leader of the Senate.

(E) One member appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.

(2) QUALIFICATIONS.

(A) IN GENERAL.-Members appointed pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be appointed from among individuals involved in surface transportation research, including representatives of Federal, State, and local governments, other public agencies, colleges and universities, public, private, and nonprofit research organizations, and organizations representing transportation providers, shippers, labor, and the financial community.

(B) INTERNATIONAL ADVISOR.-One of the members appointed by the President pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) shall serve as an international research advisor for the Council.

(3) TERMS.-Members shall be appointed for the life of the Council.

(4) VACANCIES.-A vacancy in the Council shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made.

(5) TRAVEL EXPENSES.-Members shall serve without pay but shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.

(6) CHAIRMAN.-The Chairman of the Council shall be elected by the members.

(e) STAFF.-The Council may appoint and fix the pay of such personnel as it considers appropriate.

(f) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.-Upon request of the Council, the head of any department or agency of the United States may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the Council to assist it in carrying out its duties under this section.