
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: 49USC30168]

 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
             SUBTITLE VI--MOTOR VEHICLE AND DRIVER PROGRAMS
 
                             PART A--GENERAL
 
                    CHAPTER 301--MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY
 
              SUBCHAPTER IV--ENFORCEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE
 
Sec. 30168. Research, testing, development, and training

    (a) General Authority.--(1) The Secretary of Transportation shall 
conduct research, testing, development, and training necessary to carry 
out this chapter. The research, development, testing, and training shall 
include--
        (A) collecting information to determine the relationship between 
    motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment performance characteristics 
    and--
            (i) accidents involving motor vehicles; and
            (ii) the occurrence of death or personal injury resulting 
        from those accidents;

        (B) obtaining experimental and other motor vehicles and motor 
    vehicle equipment for research or testing; and
        (C) selling or otherwise disposing of test motor vehicles and 
    motor vehicle equipment and crediting the proceeds to current 
    appropriations available to carry out this chapter.

    (2) The Secretary may carry out this subsection through grants to 
States, interstate authorities, and nonprofit institutions.
    (b) Use of Public Agencies.--In carrying out this chapter, the 
Secretary shall use the services, research, and testing facilities of 
public agencies to the maximum extent practicable to avoid duplication.
    (c) Facilities.--The Secretary may plan, design, and build a new 
facility or modify an existing facility to conduct research, 
development, and testing in traffic safety, highway safety, and motor 
vehicle safety. An expenditure of more than $100,000 for planning, 
design, or construction may be made only if the planning, design, or 
construction is approved by substantially similar resolutions by the 
Committees on Commerce and Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives and the Committees on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and Environment and Public Works of the Senate. To obtain 
that approval, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a prospectus on 
the proposed facility. The prospectus shall include--
        (1) a brief description of the facility being planned, designed, 
    or built;
        (2) the location of the facility;
        (3) an estimate of the maximum cost of the facility;
        (4) a statement identifying private and public agencies that 
    will use the facility and the contribution each agency will make to 
    the cost of the facility; and
        (5) a justification of the need for the facility.

    (d) Increasing Costs of Approved Facilities.--The estimated maximum 
cost of a facility approved under subsection (c) of this section may be 
increased by an amount equal to the percentage increase in construction 
costs from the date the prospectus is submitted to Congress. However, 
the increase in the cost of the facility may not be more than 10 percent 
of the estimated maximum cost included in the prospectus. The Secretary 
shall decide what increase in construction costs has occurred.
    (e) Availability of Information, Patents, and Developments.--When 
the United States Government makes more than a minimal contribution to a 
research or development activity under this chapter, the Secretary shall 
include in the arrangement for the activity a provision to ensure that 
all information, patents, and developments related to the activity are 
available to the public. However, the owner of a background patent may 
not be deprived of a right under the patent.

(Pub. L. 103-272, Sec. 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 971; Pub. L. 104-
287, Sec. 5(58), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3394.)

                                          Historical and Revision Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
           Revised  Section                    Source (U.S. Code)              
 Source (Statutes at Large)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
30168(a)..............................  15:1395(a), (b).                 Sept. 
9, 1966, Pub. L. 89-563, Secs.
                                                                          106, 
118, 80 Stat. 721, 728.
30168(b)..............................  15:1406.
30168(c)..............................  15:1431(a).                      Sept. 
9, 1966, Pub. L. 89-563, Sec.
                                                                          301, 
80 Stat. 729; restated May 22,
                                                                          1970,
 Pub. L. 91-265, Sec.  7, 84
                                                                          Stat.
 263.
30168(d)..............................  15:1431(b).
30168(e)..............................  15:1395(c).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------

    In subsection (a)(1), before clause (A), the words ``the purposes 
of'' and ``but not limited to'' are omitted as surplus. In clause (A), 
before subclause (i), the words ``from any source'' are omitted as 
surplus. In clause (B), the words ``(by negotiation or otherwise)'' and 
``purposes'' are omitted as surplus. In clause (C), the word 
``crediting'' is substituted for ``reimbursing'' because it is more 
appropriate. The words ``of such sale or disposal'' and ``the purposes 
of'' are omitted as surplus.
    In subsection (a)(2), the words ``conduct research, testing, 
development, and training as authorized to be . . . for the conduct of 
such research, testing, development, and training'' are omitted as 
surplus. The word ``authorities'' is substituted for ``agencies'' for 
consistency.
    In subsection (b), the words ``in order'' are omitted as surplus.
    In subsection (c), before clause (1), the word ``suitable'' is 
omitted as surplus. The word ``testing'' is substituted for ``compliance 
and other testing'' to eliminate unnecessary words. The words ``An 
expenditure of more than $100,000 . . . may be made only'' are 
substituted for ``except that no appropriation shall be made . . . 
involving an expenditure in excess of $100,000'' as being more precise 
and to eliminate unnecessary words. The words ``substantially similar 
resolutions'' are substituted for ``resolutions adopted in substantially 
the same form'' to eliminate unnecessary words. The words ``Energy and 
Commerce'' are substituted for ``Interstate and Foreign Commerce'', and 
the words ``Public Works and Transportation'' are substituted for 
``Public Works'', to conform to the amendments made to House Rule X 
changing the names of those committees. The words ``Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation'' are substituted for ``Commerce'', and the words 
``Environment and Public Works'' are substituted for ``Public Works'', 
to conform to the amendments made to Senate Rule XXV changing the names 
of those committees. The words ``To obtain that'' are substituted for 
``For the purpose of securing consideration of such'' to eliminate 
unnecessary words. The words ``The prospectus shall include'' are 
substituted for ``including'' for clarity. The words ``(but not limited 
to)'' are omitted as surplus. In clause (5), the words ``statement of'' 
are omitted as surplus.
    In subsection (d), the words ``if any'' are omitted as surplus. The 
words ``in the cost of the facility'' are substituted for ``authorized 
by this subsection'', and the words ``The Secretary shall decide what 
increase in construction costs has occurred'' are substituted for ``as 
determined by the Secretary'', for clarity.
    In subsection (e), the words ``United States Government'' are 
substituted for ``Federal'' for consistency. The words ``arrangement for 
the activity'' are substituted for ``contract, grant, or other 
arrangement for such research or development activity'', and the words 
``patents, and developments'' are substituted for ``uses, processes, 
patents, and other developments'', to eliminate unnecessary words. The 
words ``encouraging motor vehicle safety'', ``effective'', ``fully and 
freely'', and ``general'' are omitted as surplus. The word ``However'' 
is added for clarity. The words ``may not be'' are substituted for 
``Nothing herein shall be construed to'' for consistency. The words 
``which he may have'' are omitted as surplus.


                               Amendments

    1996--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104-287 substituted ``Committees on 
Commerce and Transportation and Infrastructure'' for ``Committees on 
Energy and Commerce and Public Works and Transportation''.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in title 35 section 210.
