(2) evaluate any impacts on scheduling and efficiency of passenger
operations and in the shipping of goods by freight as a result of
longer trains;
(3) determine whether additional engineer and
conductor training is required for safely operating such trains;
(4)
assess the potential impact on the amount of time and frequency of
occurrence highway-rail grade crossings are occupied; and
(5)
identify any potential environmental impacts, including greenhouse
gas emissions, that have resulted from the operation of longer
trains.
(c) COMPARISON.—When evaluating the potential
impacts of the operation of trains longer than 7,500 feet under
subsection (b), the impacts of such trains shall be compared to the
impacts of trains that are shorter than 7,500 feet, after taking
into account train frequency.
(d) REPORT.—Not later than
2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
submit a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives that contains the
results of the study conducted by the National Academies under this
section.
(e) FUNDING.—From the amounts appropriated for
fiscal year 2021 pursuant to the authorization under section
20117(a) of title 49, United States Code, the Secretary shall expend
not less than $1,000,000 and not more than $2,000,000 to carry out
the study required under this section.
######
SEC. 23022. APPRENTICESHIP PILOT
PROGRAM
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1)
APPRENTICE.—The term “apprentice” means an individual who—
(A) is
under the age of 21; and
(B) holds a commercial driver’s
license.
(2) COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S LICENSE.—The term “commercial
driver’s license” has the meaning given the term in section 31301 of
title 49, United States Code.
(3) COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE.—The
term “commercial motor vehicle” has the meaning given the term in
section 390.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on
the date of enactment of this Act).
(4) DRIVING TIME.—The term
“driving time” has the meaning given the term in section 395.2 of title
49, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment
of this Act).
(5) EXPERIENCED DRIVER.—The term “experienced driver”
means an individual who—
(A) is not younger than 26 years of
age;
(B) has held a commercial driver’s license for the 2-year
period ending on the date on which the individual serves as an
experienced driver under subsection (b)(2)(C)(ii);
(C) during the
2-year period ending on the date on which the individual serves as an
experienced driver under subsection (b)(2)(C)(ii), has had no—
(i)
preventable accidents reportable to the Department; or
(ii) pointed
moving violations; and
(D) has a minimum of 5 years of experience
driving a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.
(6)
ON-DUTY TIME.—The term “on-duty time” has the meaning given the term in
section 395.2 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on
the date of enactment of this Act).
(7) POINTED MOVING
VIOLATION.—The term “pointed moving violation” means a violation that
results in points being added to the license of a driver, or a similar
comparable violation, as determined by the Secretary.
(b)
PILOT PROGRAM
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish, in
accordance with section 31315(c) of title 49, United States Code, a
pilot program allowing employers to establish the apprenticeship
programs described in paragraph (2).
(2) DESCRIPTION OF
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.—An apprenticeship program referred to in
paragraph (1) is a program that consists of the following
requirements:
(A) 120-HOUR PROBATIONARY PERIOD
(i) IN
GENERAL.—.—The apprentice shall complete 120 hours of on-duty time, of
which not less than 80 hours shall be driving time in a commercial motor
vehicle.
(ii) PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS.—.—To complete the 120-hour
probationary period under clause (i), the employer of an apprentice
shall determine that the apprentice is competent in each of the
following areas:
(I) Interstate, city traffic, rural 2-lane, and
evening driving.
(II) Safety awareness.
(III) Speed and space
management.
(IV) Lane control.
(V) Mirror scanning.
(VI)
Right and left turns.
(VII) Logging and complying with rules
relating to hours of service.
(B) 280-HOUR PROBATIONARY PERIOD
(i)
IN GENERAL.—.—After completing the 120-hour probationary period under
subparagraph (A), an apprentice shall complete 280 hours of on-duty
time, of which not less than 160 hours shall be driving time in a
commercial motor vehicle.
(ii) PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS.—.—To
complete the 280-hour probationary period under clause (i), the employer
of an apprentice shall determine that the apprentice is competent in
each of the following areas:
(I) Backing and maneuvering in close
quarters.
(II) Pretrip inspections.
(III) Fueling
procedures.
(IV) Weighing loads, weight distribution, and sliding
tandems.
(V) Coupling and uncoupling procedures.
(VI) Trip
planning, truck routes, map reading, navigation, and permits.
(C)
RESTRICTIONS FOR PROBATIONARY PERIODS.—During the 120-hour probationary
period under subparagraph (A) and the 280-hour probationary period under
subparagraph (B)—
(i) an apprentice may only drive a commercial
motor vehicle that has—
(I) an automatic manual or automatic
transmission;
(II) an active braking collision mitigation
system;
(III) a forward-facing video event capture system; and
(IV)
a governed speed of 65 miles per hour—
(aa) at the pedal; and
(bb)
under adaptive cruise control; and
(ii) an apprentice shall be
accompanied in the passenger seat of the commercial motor vehicle by an
experienced driver.
(D) RECORDS RETENTION.—The employer of an
apprentice shall maintain records, in a manner required by the
Secretary, relating to the satisfaction of the performance benchmarks
described in subparagraphs (A)(ii) and (B)(ii) by the apprentice.
(E)
REPORTABLE INCIDENTS.—If an apprentice is involved in a preventable
accident reportable to the Department or a pointed moving violation
while driving a commercial motor vehicle as part of an apprenticeship
program described in this paragraph, the apprentice shall undergo
remediation and additional training until the apprentice can
demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the employer, competence in each of
the performance benchmarks described in subparagraphs (A)(ii) and
(B)(ii).
(F) COMPLETION OF PROGRAM.—An apprentice shall be
considered to have completed an apprenticeship program on the date on
which the apprentice completes the 280-hour probationary period under
subparagraph (B).
(G) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
(i) IN
GENERAL.—.—Nothing in this section prevents an employer from imposing
any additional requirement on an apprentice participating in an
apprenticeship program established under this section.
(ii)
TECHNOLOGIES.—.—Nothing in this section prevents an employer from
requiring or installing in a commercial motor vehicle any technology in
addition to the technologies described in subparagraph (C)(i).
(3)
APPRENTICES.—An apprentice may—
(A) drive a commercial motor
vehicle in interstate commerce while participating in the 120-hour
probationary period under paragraph (2)(A) or the 280-hour probationary
period under paragraph (2)(B) pursuant to an apprenticeship program
established by an employer in accordance with this section; and
(B)
drive a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce after the
apprentice completes an apprenticeship program described in paragraph
(2), unless the Secretary determines there exists a safety concern.
(4)
LIMITATION.—The Secretary may not allow more than 3,000 apprentices at
any 1 time to participate in the pilot program established under
paragraph (1).
(c) TERMINATION.—Effective beginning on the
date that is 3 years after the date of establishment of the pilot
program under subsection (b)(1)—
(1) the pilot program shall
terminate; and
(2) any driver under the age of 21 who has completed
an apprenticeship program described in subsection (b)(2) may drive a
commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce, unless the Secretary
determines there exists a safety concern.
(d) NO EFFECT ON
LICENSE REQUIREMENT.—Nothing in this section exempts an apprentice from
any requirement to hold a commercial driver’s license in order to
operate a commercial motor vehicle.
(e) DATA COLLECTION.—The
Secretary shall collect and analyze—
(1) data relating to
any incident in which an apprentice participating in the pilot program
established under subsection (b)(1) is involved;
(2) data relating
to any incident in which a driver under the age of 21 operating a
commercial motor vehicle in intrastate commerce is involved; and
(3)
such other data relating to the safety of apprentices aged 18 to 20
years operating in interstate commerce as the Secretary determines to be
necessary.
(f) LIMITATION.—A driver under the age of 21
participating in the pilot program under this section may not—
(1)
.—transport—
(A) a passenger; or
(B) hazardous cargo; or
(2)
.—operate a commercial motor vehicle—
(A) in special configuration;
or
(B) with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 80,000
pounds.
(g) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 120 days
after the date of conclusion of the pilot program under subsection (b),
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report including—
(1)
the findings and conclusions resulting from the pilot program, including
with respect to technologies or training provided by commercial motor
carriers for apprentices as part of the pilot program to successfully
improve safety;
(2) an analysis of the safety record of apprentices
participating in the pilot program, as compared to other commercial
motor vehicle drivers;
(3) the number of drivers that discontinued
participation in the apprenticeship program before completion;
(4)
a comparison of the safety records of participating drivers before,
during, and after the probationary periods under subparagraphs (A) and
(B) of subsection (b)(2);
(5) a comparison, for each participating
driver, of average on-duty time, driving time, and time spent away from
home terminal before, during, and after the probationary periods
referred to in paragraph (4); and
(6) a recommendation, based on
the data collected, regarding whether the level of safety achieved by
the pilot program is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety
for equivalent commercial motor vehicle drivers aged 21 years or
older.
(h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section
affects the authority of the Secretary under section 31315 of title 49,
United States Code, with respect to the pilot program established under
subsection (b)(1), including the authority to revoke participation in,
and terminate, the pilot program under paragraphs (3) and (4) of
subsection (c) of that section.
(i) DRIVER COMPENSATION
STUDY
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, shall offer to enter
into a contract with the Transportation Research Board under which
the Transportation Research Board shall conduct a study of the
impacts of various methods of driver compensation on safety and
driver retention, including—
(A) hourly pay;
(B) payment
for detention time; and
(C) other payment methods used in the
industry as of the date on which the study is conducted.
(2)
CONSULTATION.—In conducting the study under paragraph (1), the
Transportation Research Board shall consult with—
(A) labor
organizations representing commercial motor vehicle drivers;
(B)
representatives of the motor carrier industry, including
owner-operators; and
(C) such other stakeholders as the
Transportation Research Board determines to be relevant.
######
SEC. 25006. ELECTRIC VEHICLE
WORKING GROUP
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1)
SECRETARIES.—The term “Secretaries” means—
(A) the Secretary;
and
(B) the Secretary of Energy.
(2) WORKING GROUP.—The term
“working group” means the electric vehicle working group established
under subsection (b)(1).
(b) ESTABLISHMENT
(1)
IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretaries shall jointly establish an electric vehicle working
group to make recommendations regarding the development, adoption, and
integration of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty electric vehicles into
the transportation and energy systems of the United States.
(2)
MEMBERSHIP.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The working group shall be composed
of—
(i) the Secretaries (or designees), who shall be cochairs of
the working group; and
(ii) not more than 25 members, to be
appointed by the Secretaries, of whom—
(I) not more than 6 shall be
Federal stakeholders as described in subparagraph (B); and
(II) not
more than 19 shall be non-Federal stakeholders as described in
subparagraph (C).
(B) FEDERAL STAKEHOLDERS.—The working group—
(i)
shall include not fewer than 1 representative of each of—
(I) the
Department;
(II) the Department of Energy;
(III) the
Environmental Protection Agency;
(IV) the Council on Environmental
Quality; and
(V) the General Services Administration; and
(ii)
may include a representative of any other Federal agency the Secretaries
consider to be appropriate.
(C) NON-FEDERAL STAKEHOLDERS
(i)
IN GENERAL.—.—Subject to clause (ii), the working group—
(I) shall
include not fewer than 1 representative of each of—
(aa) a
manufacturer of light-duty electric vehicles or the relevant components
of light-duty electric vehicles;
(bb) a manufacturer of medium- and
heavy-duty vehicles or the relevant components of medium- and heavy-duty
electric vehicles;
(cc) a manufacturer of electric vehicle
batteries;
(dd) an owner, operator, or manufacturer of electric
vehicle charging equipment;
(ee) the public utility industry;
(ff)
a public utility regulator or association of public utility
regulators;
(gg) the transportation fueling distribution
industry;
(hh) the energy provider industry;
(ii) the
automotive dealing industry;
(jj) the for-hire passenger
transportation industry;
(kk) an organization representing units of
local government;
(ll) an organization representing regional
transportation or planning agencies;
(mm) an organization
representing State departments of transportation;
(nn) an
organization representing State departments of energy or State energy
planners;
(oo) the intelligent transportation systems and
technologies industry;
(pp) labor organizations representing
workers in transportation manufacturing, construction, or operations;
(qq)
the trucking industry;
(rr) Tribal governments; and
(ss) the
property development industry; and
(II) may include a
representative of any other non-Federal stakeholder that the Secretaries
consider to be appropriate.
(ii) REQUIREMENT.—.—The stakeholders
selected under clause (i) shall, in the aggregate—
(I) consist of
individuals with a balance of backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints;
and
(II) include individuals that represent geographically diverse
regions of the United States, including individuals representing the
perspectives of rural, urban, and suburban areas.
(D)
COMPENSATION.—A member of the working group shall serve without
compensation.
(3) MEETINGS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The working group
shall meet not less frequently than once every 120 days.
(B) REMOTE
PARTICIPATION.—A member of the working group may participate in a
meeting of the working group via teleconference or similar means.
(4)
COORDINATION.—In carrying out the duties of the working group, the
working group shall coordinate and consult with any existing Federal
interagency working groups on fleet conversion or other similar matters
relating to electric vehicles.
(c) REPORTS AND STRATEGY ON
ELECTRIC VEHICLE ADOPTION
(1) WORKING GROUP REPORTS.—The
working group shall complete by each of the deadlines described in
paragraph (2) a report describing the status of electric vehicle
adoption including—
(A) a description of the barriers and
opportunities to scaling up electric vehicle adoption throughout the
United States, including recommendations for issues relating to—
(i)
consumer behavior;
(ii) charging infrastructure needs, including
standardization and cybersecurity;
(iii) manufacturing and battery
costs, including the raw material shortages for batteries and electric
motor magnets;
(iv) the adoption of electric vehicles for low- and
moderate-income individuals and underserved communities, including
charging infrastructure access and vehicle purchase financing;
(v)
business models for charging personal electric vehicles outside the
home, including wired and wireless charging;
(vi) charging
infrastructure permitting and regulatory issues;
(vii) the
connections between housing and transportation costs and emissions;
(viii)
freight transportation, including local, port and drayage, regional, and
long-haul trucking;
(ix) intercity passenger travel;
(x) the
process by which governments collect a user fee for the contribution of
electric vehicles to funding roadway improvements;
(xi) State- and
local-level policies, incentives, and zoning efforts;
(xii) the
installation of highway corridor signage;
(xiii) secondary markets
and recycling for batteries;
(xiv) grid capacity and
integration;
(xv) energy storage; and
(xvi) specific regional
or local issues that may not appear to apply throughout the United
States, but may hamper nationwide adoption or coordination of electric
vehicles;
(B) examples of successful public and private models and
demonstration projects that encourage electric vehicle adoption;
(C)
an analysis of current efforts to overcome the barriers described in
subparagraph (A);
(D) an analysis of the estimated costs and
benefits of any recommendations of the working group; and
(E) any
other topics, as determined by the working group.
(2) DEADLINES.—A
report under paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the Secretaries, the
Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Appropriations
of the Senate and the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure
and Appropriations of the House of Representatives—
(A) in the case
of the first report, by not later than 18 months after the date on which
the working group is established under subsection (b)(1);
(B) in
the case of the second report, by not later than 2 years after the date
on which the first report is required to be submitted under subparagraph
(A); and
(C) in the case of the third report, by not later than 2
years after the date on which the second report is required to be
submitted under subparagraph (B).
(3) STRATEGY.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Based on the reports submitted by the working group under
paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall jointly develop, maintain, and
update a strategy that describes the means by which the Federal
Government, States, units of local government, and industry can—
(i)
establish quantitative targets for transportation electrification;
(ii)
overcome the barriers described in paragraph (1)(A);
(iii) identify
areas of opportunity in research and development to improve battery
manufacturing, mineral mining, recycling costs, material recovery, fire
risks, and battery performance for electric vehicles;
(iv) enhance
Federal interagency coordination to promote electric vehicle
adoption;
(v) prepare the workforce for the adoption of electric
vehicles, including through collaboration with labor unions, educational
institutions, and relevant manufacturers;
(vi) expand electric
vehicle and charging infrastructure;
(vii) expand knowledge of the
benefits of electric vehicles among the general public;
(viii)
maintain the global competitiveness of the United States in the electric
vehicle and charging infrastructure markets;
(ix) provide clarity
in regulations to improve national uniformity with respect to electric
vehicles; and
(x) ensure the sustainable integration of electric
vehicles into the national electric grid.
(B) NOTICE AND
COMMENT.—In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Secretaries shall provide
public notice and opportunity for comment on the strategy described in
that subparagraph.
(4) INFORMATION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries may enter into an agreement with
the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide, track, or report
data, information, or research to assist the working group in
carrying out paragraph (1).
(B) USE OF EXISTING INFORMATION.—In developing a report under
paragraph (1) or a strategy under paragraph (3), the Secretaries and the
working group shall take into consideration existing Federal, State,
local, private sector, and academic data and information relating to
electric vehicles and, to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate
with the entities that publish that information—
(i) to prevent
duplication of efforts by the Federal Government; and
(ii) to
leverage existing information and complementary efforts.
(d)
COORDINATION.—To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretaries and the
working group shall carry out this section using all available existing
resources, websites, and databases of Federal agencies, such as—
(1)
the Alternative Fuels Data Center;
(2) the Energy Efficient
Mobility Systems program; and
(3) the Clean Cities Coalition
Network.
(e) TERMINATION.—The working group shall terminate
on submission of the third report required under subsection
(c)(2)(C).
SEC. 25007. RISK AND SYSTEM RESILIENCE
(a)
IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation with appropriate Federal,
State, and local agencies, shall develop a process for quantifying
annual risk in order to increase system resilience with respect to the
surface transportation system of the United States by measuring—
(1)
resilience to threat probabilities by type of hazard and geographical
location;
(2) resilience to asset vulnerabilities with respect to
each applicable threat; and
(3) anticipated consequences from each
applicable threat to each asset.
(b) USE BY STATE, REGIONAL,
TRIBAL, AND LOCAL ENTITIES
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary
shall provide the process developed under subsection (a) to State
departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations,
Indian Tribes, local governments, and other relevant entities.
(2)
GUIDANCE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall provide to the
entities described in paragraph (1) guidance and technical assistance on
the use of the process referred to in that paragraph.
(c)
RESEARCH
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall—
(A)
identify and support fundamental research to develop a framework and
quantitative models to support compilation of information for risk-based
analysis of transportation assets by standardizing the basis for
quantifying annual risk and increasing system resilience; and
(B) build on existing resilience research, including studies
conducted by—
(i) the Transportation Research Board of the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and
(ii)
the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(2) USE OF EXISTING FACILITIES.—In carrying out paragraph (1),
the Secretary shall use existing research facilities available to the
Secretary, including the Turner–Fairbank Highway Research Center and
University Transportation Centers established under section 5505 of
title 49, United States Code.
######
Ҥ119.ADVANCED
RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY–INFRASTRUCTURE.
“(a)
DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
“(1) ARPA–I.— The term
‘ARPA–I’ means the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Infrastructure
established by subsection (b).
“(2) DEPARTMENT.—The term
‘Department’ means the Department of Transportation.
“(3)
DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means the Director of ARPA–I appointed
under subsection (d).
“(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible
entity’ means—
“(A) a unit of State or local government;
“(B)
an institution of higher education;
“(C) a commercial entity;
“(D)
a research foundation;
“(E) a trade or industry research
collaborative;
“(F) a federally funded research and development
center;
“(G) a research facility owned or funded by the
Department;
“(H) a collaborative that includes relevant
international entities; and
“(I) a consortia of 2 or more entities
described in any of subparagraphs (A) through (H).
“(5)
INFRASTRUCTURE.—
“(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘infrastructure’ means
any transportation method or facility that facilitates the transit of
goods or people within the United States (including territories).
“(B)
INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘infrastructure’ includes—
“(i) roads;
“(ii)
highways;
“(iii) bridges;
“(iv) airports;
“(v) rail
lines;
“(vi) harbors; and
“(vii) pipelines.
“(6)
SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of
Transportation.
“(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established
within the Department an agency, to be known as the ‘Advanced Research
Projects Agency–Infrastructure’, to support the development of science
and technology solutions—
“(1) to overcome long-term
challenges; and
“(2) to advance the state of the art for United
States transportation infrastructure.
“(c) GOALS
“(1)
IN GENERAL.—The goals of ARPA–I shall be—
“(A) to advance the
transportation infrastructure of the United States by developing
innovative science and technology solutions that—
“(i) lower the
long-term costs of infrastructure development, including costs of
planning, construction, and maintenance;
“(ii) reduce the lifecycle
impacts of transportation infrastructure on the environment, including
through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;
“(iii)
contribute significantly to improving the safe, secure, and efficient
movement of goods and people; and
“(iv) promote the resilience of
infrastructure from physical and cyber threats; and
“(B) to ensure
that the United States is a global leader in developing and deploying
advanced transportation infrastructure technologies and materials.
“(2)
RESEARCH PROJECTS.—ARPA–I shall achieve the goals described in paragraph
(1) by providing assistance under this section for infrastructure
research projects that—
“(A) advance novel, early-stage research
with practicable application to transportation infrastructure;
“(B)
translate techniques, processes, and technologies, from the conceptual
phase to prototype, testing, or demonstration;
“(C) develop
advanced manufacturing processes and technologies for the domestic
manufacturing of novel transportation-related technologies; and
“(D)
accelerate transformational technological advances in areas in which
industry entities are unlikely to carry out projects due to technical
and financial uncertainty.
“(d) DIRECTOR
“(1)
APPOINTMENT.—ARPA–I shall be headed by a Director, who shall be
appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate.
“(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Director shall be an individual
who, by reason of professional background and experience, is especially
qualified to advise the Secretary regarding, and manage research
programs addressing, matters relating to the development of science and
technology solutions to advance United States transportation
infrastructure.
“(3) RELATIONSHIP TO SECRETARY.—The Director
shall—
“(A) be located within the Office of the Assistant Secretary
for Research and Technology; and
“(B) report to the Secretary.
“(4)
RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROGRAMS.—No other program within the Department
shall report to the Director.
“(5) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The
responsibilities of the Director shall include—
“(A) approving new
programs within ARPA–I;
“(B) developing funding criteria, and
assessing the success of programs, to achieve the goals described in
subsection (c)(1) through the establishment of technical milestones;
“(C)
administering available funding by providing to eligible entities
assistance to achieve the goals described in subsection (c)(1);
“(D)
terminating programs carried out under this section that are not
achieving the goals of the programs; and
“(E) establishing a
process through which eligible entities can submit to ARPA–I unsolicited
research proposals for assistance under this section in accordance with
subsection (f).
“(e) PERSONNEL
“(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Director shall establish and maintain within ARPA–I a staff
with sufficient qualifications and expertise to enable ARPA–I to carry
out the responsibilities under this section, in conjunction with other
operations of the Department.
“(2) PROGRAM DIRECTORS.—
“(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Director shall designate employees to serve as program
directors for ARPA–I.
“(B) RESPONSIBILITIES.—Each program director
shall be responsible for—
“(i) establishing research and
development goals for the applicable program, including by convening
workshops and conferring with outside experts;
“(ii) publicizing
the goals of the applicable program;
“(iii) soliciting applications
for specific areas of particular promise, especially in areas that the
private sector or the Federal Government are not likely to carry out
absent assistance from ARPA–I;
“(iv) establishing research
collaborations for carrying out the applicable program;
“(v)
selecting on the basis of merit each project to be supported under the
applicable program, taking into consideration—
“(I) the novelty and
scientific and technical merit of proposed projects;
“(II) the
demonstrated capabilities of eligible entities to successfully carry out
proposed projects;
“(III) the extent to which an eligible entity
took into consideration future commercial applications of a proposed
project, including the feasibility of partnering with 1 or more
commercial entities; and
“(IV) such other criteria as the Director
may establish;
“(vi) identifying innovative cost-sharing
arrangements for projects carried out or funded by ARPA–I;
“(vii)
monitoring the progress of projects supported under the applicable
program;
“(viii) identifying mechanisms for commercial application
of successful technology development projects, including through
establishment of partnerships between eligible entities and commercial
entities; and
“(ix) as applicable, recommending—
“(I) program
restructuring; or
“(II) termination of applicable research
partnerships or projects.
“(C) TERM OF SERVICE.—A program
director—
“(i) shall serve for a term of 3 years; and
“(ii)
may be reappointed for any subsequent term of service.
“(3) HIRING
AND MANAGEMENT.—
“(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director may—
“(i) make
appointments of scientific, engineering, and professional personnel,
without regard to the civil service laws;
“(ii) fix the basic pay
of such personnel at such rate as the Director may determine, but not to
exceed level II of the Executive Schedule, without regard to the civil
service laws; and
“(iii) pay an employee appointed under this
subparagraph payments in addition to basic pay, subject to the condition
that the total amount of those additional payments for any 12-month
period shall not exceed the least of—
“(I) $25,000;
“(II) an
amount equal to 25 percent of the annual rate of basic pay of the
employee; and
“(III) the amount of the applicable limitation for a
calendar year under section 5307(a)(1) of title 5.
“(B) PRIVATE
RECRUITING FIRMS.—The Director may enter into a contract with a private
recruiting firm for the hiring of qualified technical staff to carry out
this section.
“(C) ADDITIONAL STAFF.—The Director may use all
authorities available to the Secretary to hire administrative,
financial, and clerical staff, as the Director determines to be
necessary to carry out this section.
“(f) RESEARCH
PROPOSALS
“(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity may submit to
the Director an unsolicited research proposal at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the Director may require,
including a description of—
“(A) the extent of current and prior
efforts with respect to the project proposed to be carried out using the
assistance, if applicable; and
“(B) any current or prior
investments in the technology area for which funding is requested,
including as described in subsection (c)(2)(D).
“(2) REVIEW.—The
Director—
“(A) shall review each unsolicited research proposal
submitted under paragraph (1), taking into consideration—
“(i) the
novelty and scientific and technical merit of the research proposal;
“(ii)
the demonstrated capabilities of the applicant to successfully carry out
the research proposal;
“(iii) the extent to which the applicant
took into consideration future commercial applications of the proposed
research project, including the feasibility of partnering with 1 or more
commercial entities; and
“(iv) such other criteria as the Director
may establish;
“(B) may approve a research proposal if the Director
determines that the research—
“(i) is in accordance with—
“(I)
the goals described in subsection (c)(1); or
“(II) an applicable
transportation research and development strategic plan developed under
section 6503; and
“(ii) would not duplicate any other Federal
research being conducted or funded by another Federal agency; and
“(C)
(i) if funding is denied for the research proposal, shall provide to the
eligible entity that submitted the proposal a written notice of the
denial that, as applicable—
“(I) explains why the research proposal
was not selected, including whether the research proposal fails to cover
an area of need; and
“(II) recommends that the research proposal be
submitted to another research program; or
“(ii) if the research
proposal is approved for funding, shall provide to the eligible entity
that submitted the proposal—
“(I) a written notice of the approval;
and
“(II) assistance in accordance with subsection (g) for the
proposed research.
“(g) FORMS OF ASSISTANCE.—On approval of
a research proposal of an eligible entity, the Director may provide to
the eligible entity assistance in the form of—
“(1) a
grant;
“(2) a contract;
“(3) a cooperative agreement;
“(4)
a cash prize; or
“(5) another, similar form of funding.
“(h)
REPORTS AND ROADMAPS
“(1) ANNUAL REPORTS.—For each fiscal
year, the Director shall provide to the Secretary, for inclusion in the
budget request submitted by the Secretary to the President under section
1108 of title 31 for the fiscal year, a report that, with respect to the
preceding fiscal year, describes—
“(A) the projects that received
assistance from ARPA–I, including—
“(i) each such project that was
funded as a result of an unsolicited research proposal; and
“(ii)
each such project that examines topics or technologies closely related
to other activities funded by the Department, including an analysis of
whether the Director achieved compliance with subsection (i)(1) in
supporting the project; and
“(B) the instances of, and reasons for,
the provision of assistance under this section for any projects being
carried out by industry entities.
“(2) STRATEGIC VISION
ROADMAP.—Not later than October 1, 2022, and not less frequently than
once every 4 years thereafter, the Director shall submit to the relevant
authorizing and appropriations committees of Congress a roadmap
describing the strategic vision that ARPA–I will use to guide the
selection of future projects for technology investment during the 4
fiscal-year period beginning on the date of submission of the report.
“(i)
COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION.—The Director shall ensure that—
“(1)
.—the activities of ARPA–I are coordinated with, and do not duplicate
the efforts of, programs and laboratories within—
“(A) the
Department; and
“(B) other relevant research agencies; and
“(2)
.—no funding is provided by ARPA–I for a project, unless the eligible
entity proposing the project—
“(A) demonstrates sufficient attempts
to secure private financing; or
“(B) indicates that the project is
not independently commercially viable.
“(j) FEDERAL
DEMONSTRATION OF TECHNOLOGIES.—The Director shall seek opportunities to
partner with purchasing and procurement programs of Federal agencies to
demonstrate technologies resulting from activities funded through
ARPA–I.
“(k) PARTNERSHIPS.—The Director shall seek
opportunities to enter into contracts or partnerships with
minority-serving institutions (as described in any of paragraphs (1)
through (7) of section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20
U.S.C. 1067q(a) ))—
“(1) to accomplish the goals of
ARPA–I;
“(2) to develop institutional capacity in advanced
transportation infrastructure technologies and materials;
“(3) to
engage underserved populations in developing, demonstrating, and
deploying those technologies and materials; and
“(4) to otherwise
address the needs of ARPA–I.
“(l) UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION
CENTERS.—The Director may—
“(1) partner with university
transportation centers under section 5505 to accomplish the goals, and
address the needs, of ARPA–I; and
“(2) sponsor and select for
funding, in accordance with section 5505, competitively selected
university transportation center grants, in addition to the assistance
provided under section 5505, to address targeted technology and material
goals of ARPA–I.
“(m) ADVICE
“(1) ADVISORY
COMMITTEES.—The Director may seek advice regarding any aspect of ARPA–I
from—
“(A) an existing advisory committee, office, or other group
within the Department; and
“(B) a new advisory committee organized
to support the programs of ARPA–I by providing advice and assistance
regarding—
“(i) specific program tasks; or
“(ii) the overall
direction of ARPA–I.
“(2) ADDITIONAL SOURCES.—In carrying out this
section, the Director may seek advice and review from—
“(A) the
President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology;
“(B) the
Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy; and
“(C) any professional
or scientific organization with expertise relating to specific processes
or technologies under development by ARPA–I.
“(n)
EVALUATION
“(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 27, 2024, the Secretary
may enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences
under which the National Academy shall conduct an evaluation of the
achievement by ARPA–I of the goals described in subsection
(c)(1).
“(2) INCLUSIONS.—The evaluation under paragraph (1) may
include—
“(A) a recommendation regarding whether ARPA–I should
be continued;
“(B) a recommendation regarding whether ARPA–I,
or the Department generally, should continue to allow entities to
submit unsolicited research proposals; and
“(C) a description
of—
“(i) the lessons learned from the operation of ARPA–I;
and
“(ii) the manner in which those lessons may apply to the
operation of other programs of the Department.
“(3)
AVAILABILITY.—On completion of the evaluation under paragraph (1),
the evaluation shall be made available to—
“(A) Congress;
and
“(B) the public.
“(o) PROTECTION OF INFORMATION
“(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each type of information described in paragraph (2) that is
collected by ARPA–I from eligible entities shall be considered to be—
“(A)
commercial and financial information obtained from a person;
“(B)
privileged or confidential; and
“(C) not subject to disclosure
under section 552(b)(4) of title 5.
“(2) DESCRIPTION OF TYPES OF
INFORMATION.—The types of information referred to in paragraph (1)
are—
“(A) information relating to plans for commercialization of
technologies developed using assistance provided under this section,
including business plans, technology-to-market plans, market studies,
and cost and performance models;
“(B) information relating to
investments provided to an eligible entity from a third party (such as a
venture capital firm, a hedge fund, and a private equity firm),
including any percentage of ownership of an eligible entity provided in
return for such an investment;
“(C) information relating to
additional financial support that the eligible entity—
“(i) plans
to invest, or has invested, in the technology developed using assistance
provided under this section; or
“(ii) is seeking from a third
party; and
“(D) information relating to revenue from the licensing
or sale of a new product or service resulting from research conducted
using assistance provided under this section.
“(p) EFFECT ON
EXISTING AUTHORITIES.—The authority provided by this section—
“(1)
shall be in addition to any existing authority provided to the
Secretary; and
“(2) shall not supersede or modify any other
existing authority.
“(q) FUNDING
“(1)
AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated
to the Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out this
section.
“(2) SEPARATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION.—
“(A) BUDGET
REQUEST.—The budget request for ARPA–I shall be separate from the budget
request of the remainder of the Department.
“(B)
APPROPRIATIONS.—The funding appropriated for ARPA–I shall be separate
and distinct from the funding appropriated for the remainder of the
Department.
“(3) ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts made available for a
fiscal year under paragraph (1)—
“(A) not less than 5 percent shall
be used for technology transfer and outreach activities—
“(i) in
accordance with the goal described in subsection (c)(2)(D); and
“(ii)
within the responsibilities of the program directors described in
subsection (e)(2)(B)(viii); and
“(B) none may be used for the
construction of any new building or facility during the 5-year period
beginning on the date of enactment of the Surface Transportation
Investment Act of 2021.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The
analysis for chapter 1 of title 49, United States Code (as amended by
section 21101(c)), is amended by adding at the end the following:
“119.
Advanced Research Projects Agency–Infrastructure.
######
SEC.
25020. TRANSPORTATION WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
(a)
ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary shall enter into an arrangement with the National
Academy of Sciences under which the National Academy shall develop
and submit to the Secretary a workforce needs assessment that—
(1)
.—addresses—
(A) the education and recruitment of technical
workers for the intelligent transportation technologies and systems
industry;
(B) the development of a workforce skilled in various
types of intelligent transportation technologies, components,
infrastructure, and equipment, including with respect to—