
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 49USC301]

 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
                SUBTITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 
                  CHAPTER 3--GENERAL DUTIES AND POWERS
 
         SUBCHAPTER I--DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
 
Sec. 301. Leadership, consultation, and cooperation

    The Secretary of Transportation shall--
        (1) under the direction of the President, exercise leadership in 
    transportation matters, including those matters affecting national 
    defense and those matters involving national or regional 
    emergencies;
        (2) provide leadership in the development of transportation 
    policies and programs, and make recommendations to the President and 
    Congress for their consideration and implementation;
        (3) coordinate Federal policy on intermodal transportation and 
    initiate policies to promote efficient intermodal transportation in 
    the United States;
        (4) promote and undertake the development, collection, and 
    dissemination of technological, statistical, economic, and other 
    information relevant to domestic and international transportation;
        (5) consult and cooperate with the Secretary of Labor in 
    compiling information regarding the status of labor-management 
    contracts and other labor-management problems and in promoting 
    industrial harmony and stable employment conditions in all modes of 
    transportation;
        (6) promote and undertake research and development related to 
    transportation, including noise abatement, with particular attention 
    to aircraft noise, and including basic highway vehicle science;
        (7) consult with the heads of other departments, agencies, and 
    instrumentalities of the United States Government on the 
    transportation requirements of the Government, including encouraging 
    them to establish and observe policies consistent with maintaining a 
    coordinated transportation system in procuring transportation or in 
    operating their own transport services;
        (8) consult and cooperate with State and local governments, 
    carriers, labor, and other interested persons, including, when 
    appropriate, holding informal public hearings; and
        (9) develop and coordinate Federal policy on financing 
    transportation infrastructure, including the provision of direct 
    Federal credit assistance and other techniques used to leverage 
    Federal transportation funds.

(Pub. L. 97-449, Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2418; Pub. L. 102-240, title V, 
Sec. 5002(a), title VI, Sec. 6017, Dec. 18, 1991, 105 Stat. 2158, 2183; 
Pub. L. 105-178, title I, Sec. 1504, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 251.)

                                          Historical and Revision Notes
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---------------------------------
           Revised  Section                    Source (U.S. Code)              
 Source (Statutes at Large)
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---------------------------------
301...................................  49:1653(a).                      Oct. 1
5, 1966, Pub. L. 89-670, Sec.
                                                                          4(a),
 80 Stat. 933.
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---------------------------------

    In the introductory clause before ``shall'', the words ``in carrying 
out the purposes of this chapter . . . among his responsibilities'' are 
omitted as surplus.
    In clause (4), the word ``compiling'' is substituted for 
``gathering'' for consistency.


                               Amendments

    1998--Par. (9). Pub. L. 105-178 added par. (9).
    1991--Pars. (3) to (5). Pub. L. 102-240, Sec. 5002(a), added par. 
(3) and redesignated former pars. (3) and (4) as (4) and (5), 
respectively. Former par. (5) redesignated (6).
    Par. (6). Pub. L. 102-240, Secs. 5002(a), 6017, redesignated par. 
(5) as (6) and inserted ``, and including basic highway vehicle 
science''. Former par. (6) redesignated (7).
    Pars. (7), (8). Pub. L. 102-240, Sec. 5002(a), redesignated pars. 
(6) and (7) as (7) and (8), respectively.


                   Coordinated Transportation Services

    Pub. L. 105-178, title III, Sec. 3034, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 386, 
provided that:
    ``(a) Study.--The Comptroller General shall conduct a study of 
Federal departments and agencies (other than the Department of 
Transportation) that receive Federal financial assistance for non-
emergency transportation services.
    ``(b) Contents.--In conducting the study, the Comptroller General 
shall--
        ``(1) identify each Federal department and agency (other than 
    the Department of Transportation) that has received Federal 
    financial assistance for non-emergency transportation services in 
    any of the 3 fiscal years preceding the date of enactment of this 
    Act [June 9, 1998];
        ``(2) identify the amount of such assistance received by each 
    Federal department and agency in such fiscal years; and
        ``(3) identify the projects and activities funded using such 
    financial assistance.
    ``(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General shall transmit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate a 
report containing the results of the study and any recommendations for 
enhanced coordination between the Department of Transportation and other 
Federal departments and agencies that provide funding for non-emergency 
transportation.''


   Establishment of Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System

    Pub. L. 105-66, title III, Sec. 346, Oct. 27, 1997, 111 Stat. 1449, 
provided that:
    ``(a) As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act 
[Oct. 27, 1997], the Secretary of Transportation, acting for the 
Department of Transportation, may take receipt of such equipment and 
sites of the Ground Wave Emergency Network (referred to in this section 
as `GWEN') as the Secretary of Transportation determines to be necessary 
for the establishment of a nationwide system to be known as the 
`Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System' (referred to in this 
section as `NDGPS').
    ``(b) As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act 
[Oct. 27, 1997], the Secretary of Transportation may establish the 
NDGPS. In establishing the NDGPS, the Secretary of Transportation may--
        ``(1) if feasible, reuse GWEN equipment and sites transferred to 
    the Department of Transportation under subsection (a);
        ``(2) to the maximum extent practicable, use contractor services 
    to install the NDGPS;
        ``(3) modify the positioning system operated by the Coast Guard 
    at the time of the establishment of the NDGPS to integrate the 
    reference stations made available pursuant to subsection (a);
        ``(4) in cooperation with the Secretary of Commerce, ensure that 
    the reference stations referred to in paragraph (3) are compatible 
    with, and integrated into, the Continuously Operating Reference 
    Station (commonly referred to as `CORS') system of the National 
    Geodetic Survey of the Department of Commerce; and
        ``(5) in cooperation with the Secretary of Commerce, investigate 
    the use of the NDGPS reference stations for the Global Positioning 
    System Integrated Precipitable Water Vapor System of the National 
    Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    ``(c) The Secretary of Transportation may--
        ``(1) manage and operate the NDGPS;
        ``(2) ensure that the service of the NDGPS is provided without 
    the assessment of any user fee; and
        ``(3) in cooperation with the Secretary of Defense, ensure that 
    the use of the NDGPS is denied to any enemy of the United States.
    ``(d) In any case in which the Secretary of Transportation 
determines that contracting for the maintenance of 1 or more NDGPS 
reference stations is cost-effective, the Secretary of Transportation 
may enter into a contract to provide for that maintenance.
    ``(e) The Secretary of Transportation may--
        ``(1) in cooperation with appropriate representatives of private 
    industries and universities and officials of State governments--
            ``(A) investigate improvements (including potential 
        improvements) to the NDGPS;
            ``(B) develop standards for the NDGPS; and
            ``(C) sponsor the development of new applications for the 
        NDGPS; and
        ``(2) provide for the continual upgrading of the NDGPS to 
    improve performance and address the needs of--
            ``(A) the Federal Government;
            ``(B) State and local governments; and
            ``(C) the general public.''


  Intermodal Transportation Advisory Board and Office of Intermodalism

    Section 5002(b), (c) of Pub. L. 102-240, which provided for 
establishment within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation of an 
Intermodal Transportation Advisory Board to make recommendations for 
carrying out responsibilities of the Secretary concerning the 
coordination of Federal policy on intermodal transportation, and for 
establishment within the Office of the Secretary of an Office of 
Intermodalism to develop intermodal transportation data, to coordinate 
Federal research on intermodal transportation, to provide technical 
assistance to States and metropolitan planning organizations, and to 
provide administrative and clerical support to the Intermodal 
Transportation Advisory Board, was repealed and reenacted as sections 
5502 and 5503 of this title by Pub. L. 103-272, Secs. 1(d), 7(b), July 
5, 1994, 108 Stat. 849, 850, 1379.


                  Model Intermodal Transportation Plans

    Section 5003 of Pub. L. 102-240, which directed Secretary of 
Transportation to make grants to States, representing a variety of 
geographic regions and transportation needs, patterns, and modes, for 
purpose of developing model State intermodal transportation plans 
consistent with policy of United States to encourage and promote 
development of national intermodal transportation system, was repealed 
and reenacted as section 5504 of this title by Pub. L. 103-272, 
Secs. 1(d), 7(b), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 850, 1379.


            National Commission on Intermodal Transportation

    Section 5005 of Pub. L. 102-240 provided for establishment of a 
National Commission on Intermodal Transportation, consisting of 11 
appointed members, to make a complete investigation and study of 
intermodal transportation in the United States and internationally and 
to send a report to Congress not later than Sept. 30, 1993, containing 
recommendations for implementing the policy set out in section 302(e) of 
this title, with the Commission to terminate on the 180th day following 
transmittal of the report, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 104-287, 
Sec. 7(3), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3400.


                            Border Crossings

    Section 6015 of Pub. L. 102-240 directed Secretary of Transportation 
to identify existing and emerging trade corridors and transportation 
subsystems that facilitate trade between United States, Canada, and 
Mexico and to recommend changes to improve and integrate corridor 
subsystems in order to achieve increased productivity and use of 
innovative marketing techniques, and directed Secretary to report to 
Congress not later than 18 months after Dec. 18, 1991, on transportation 
infrastructure needs and associated costs and to propose an agenda to 
develop systemwide integration of services for national benefits.


                          Underground Pipelines

    Section 6020 of Pub. L. 102-240 directed Secretary of Transportation 
to conduct a study to evaluate feasibility, costs, and benefits of 
constructing and operating pneumatic capsule pipelines for underground 
movement of commodities other than hazardous liquids and gas, and to 
submit, not later than 2 years after Dec. 18, 1991, a report to Congress 
on the results of the study, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 104-287, 
Sec. 7(3), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3400.


       Long-Range National Transportation Strategic Planning Study

    Pub. L. 100-457, title III, Sec. 317(b), Sept. 30, 1988, 102 Stat. 
2149, directed Department of Transportation to undertake a long-range, 
multi-modal national transportation strategic planning study, such study 
to forecast long-term needs and costs for developing and maintaining 
facilities and services to achieve a desired national transportation 
program for moving people and goods in the year 2015 and to include 
detailed analyses of transportation needs within six to nine 
metropolitan areas that have diverse population, development, and 
demographic patterns, including at least one interstate metropolitan 
area, with study to be submitted to Congress on or before Oct. 1, 1989. 
Similar provisions were contained in the following prior appropriation 
act: Pub. L. 100-202, Sec. 101(l) [title III, Sec. 317(b)], Dec. 22, 
1987, 101 Stat. 1329-358, 1329-381.


             Commercial Expendable Launch Vehicle Activities

    Designation of Department of Transportation as lead agency and 
duties of the Secretary for encouraging, facilitating, and developing 
commercial expendable launch vehicle operations by private enterprise, 
see Ex. Ord. No. 12465, Feb. 24, 1984, 49 F.R. 7211, set out under 
section 70101 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 305 of this title.
