§ 504. Training and education

(a) National Highway Institute.—

(1) In general.— The Secretary shall operate in the Federal Highway Administration a National Highway Institute (in this subsection referred to as the “Institute”). The Secretary shall administer, through the Institute, the authority vested in the Secretary by this title or by any other law for the development and conduct of education and training programs relating to highways.

(2) Duties of the institute.— In cooperation with State transportation departments, United States industry, and any national or international entity, the Institute shall develop and administer education and training programs of instruction for—

(A) Federal Highway Administration, State, and local transportation agency employees and the employees of any other applicable Federal agency;

(B) regional, State, and metropolitan planning organizations;

(C) State and local police, public safety, and motor vehicle employees; and

(D) United States citizens and foreign nationals engaged or to be engaged in surface transportation work of interest to the United States.

(3) Courses.—

(A) In general.— The Institute shall—

(i) develop or update existing courses in asset management, including courses that include such components as—

(I) the determination of life-cycle costs;

(II) the valuation of assets;

(III) benefit-to-cost ratio calculations; and

(IV) objective decisionmaking processes for project selection; and

(ii) continually develop courses relating to the application of emerging technologies for—

(I) transportation infrastructure applications and asset management;

(II) intelligent transportation systems;

(III) operations (including security operations);

(IV) the collection and archiving of data;

(V) reducing the amount of time required for the planning and development of transportation projects; and

(VI) the intermodal movement of individuals and freight.

(B) Additional courses.— In addition to the courses developed under subparagraph (A), the Institute, in consultation with State transportation departments, metropolitan planning organizations, and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, may develop courses relating to technology, methods, techniques, engineering, construction, safety, maintenance, environmental mitigation and compliance, regulations, management, inspection, and finance.

(C) Revision of courses offered.— The Institute shall periodically—

(i) review the course inventory of the Institute; and

(ii) revise or cease to offer courses based on course content, applicability, and need.

(4) Set-aside; federal share.— Not to exceed ½ of 1 percent of the funds apportioned to a State under section 104(b)(3) and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with a Federal agency, State agency, local agency, federally recognized Indian tribal government or tribal consortium, authority, association, nonprofit or for-profit corporation, or institution of higher education, to carry out the purposes of this subsection.

(h) Centers for Surface Transportation Excellence.—

(1) In general.— The Secretary shall make grants under this section to establish and maintain centers for surface transportation excellence.

(2) Goals.— The goals of a center referred to in paragraph (1) shall be to promote and support strategic national surface transportation programs and activities relating to the work of State departments of transportation in the areas of environment, surface transportation safety, rural safety, and project finance.

(3) Role of the centers.— To achieve the goals set forth in paragraph (2), any centers established under paragraph (1) shall provide technical assistance, information sharing of best practices, and training in the use of tools and decisionmaking processes that can assist States in effectively implementing surface transportation programs, projects, and policies.

(4) Program administration.—

(A) Competition.— A party entering into a contract, cooperative agreement, or other transaction with the Secretary under this subsection, or receiving a grant to perform research or provide technical assistance under this subsection, shall be selected on a competitive basis.

(B) Strategic plan.— The Secretary shall require each center to develop a multiyear strategic plan, that—

(i) is submitted to the Secretary at such time as the Secretary requires; and

(ii) describes—

(I) the activities to be undertaken by the center; and

(II) how the work of the center will be coordinated with the activities of the Federal Highway Administration and the various other research, development, and technology transfer activities authorized under this chapter.

(Added Pub. L. 105–178, title V, § 5104, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 429; amended Pub. L. 109–59, title V, § 5204(a)(1), (b), (d)(1), (e), (h)(1), Aug. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1790, 1792–1794; Pub. L. 112–141, div. E, title II, § 52004, July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 880.)

References In Text

References in Text

Section 104(b)(3), referred to in subsec. (a)(4), means section 104(b)(3) prior to the general amendment of section 104 by Pub. L. 112–141, div. A, title I, § 1105(a), July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 427.

Prior Provisions

Prior Provisions

A prior section 504, added Pub. L. 90–495, § 30, Aug. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 831, related to Federal reimbursement for highway relocation assistance, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 91–646, title II, § 220(a)(10), Jan. 2, 1971, 84 Stat. 1903.

Amendments

Amendments

2012—Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 112–141, § 52004(1)(A), inserted “and the employees of any other applicable Federal agency” before the semicolon at end.

Subsec. (a)(3)(A)(ii)(V). Pub. L. 112–141, § 52004(1)(B), substituted “reducing the amount of time required for” for “expediting”.

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 112–141, § 52004(2), added par. (3) and struck out former par. (3). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Federal share of the cost of activities carried out by the tribal technical assistance centers under paragraph (2)(D)(ii) shall be 100 percent.”

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 112–141, § 52004(3), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), inserted subpar. heading, substituted “, which program” for “. The program”, and added subpar. (B).

Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 112–141, § 52004(4)(A)(i), substituted “paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 104(b)” for “sections 104(b)(1), 104(b)(2), 104(b)(3), 104(b)(4), and 144(e)” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (e)(1)(F), (G). Pub. L. 112–141, § 52004(4)(A)(ii)–(iv), added subpars. (F) and (G).

Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 112–141, § 52004(4)(B), inserted “, except for activities carried out under paragraph (1)(G), for which the Federal share shall be 50 percent” before the period at end.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 112–141, § 52004(5), struck out “Pilot” before “Program” in heading.

Subsec. (g)(4)(F). Pub. L. 112–141, § 52004(6), substituted “stewardship” for “excellence”.

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 112–141, § 52004(7), added subsec. (h).

2005—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 109–59, § 5204(a)(1), reenacted heading without change and amended text of par. (3) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Institute may develop and administer courses in modern developments, techniques, methods, regulations, management, and procedures relating to surface transportation, environmental mitigation and compliance, acquisition of rights-of-way, relocation assistance, engineering, safety, construction, maintenance and operations, contract administration, motor carrier safety activities, inspection, and highway finance.”

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–59, § 5204(b), reenacted heading without change and amended text of subsec. (b) generally, substituting provisions relating to authority to carry out a local technical assistance program, authority to make grants and enter into cooperative agreements and contracts, and Federal share of the cost of activities carried out by tribal technical assistance centers, consisting of pars. (1) to (3), for provisions relating to authority to carry out a local technical assistance program and authority to make grants and enter into cooperative agreements and contracts, consisting of pars. (1) and (2).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–59, § 5204(d)(1), added subsec. (d).

Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 109–59, § 5204(e), added subsecs. (e) and (f).

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 109–59, § 5204(h)(1), added subsec. (g).

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 2012 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 112–141 effective Oct. 1, 2012, see section 3(a) of Pub. L. 112–141, set out as an Effective and Termination Dates of 2012 Amendment note under section 101 of this title.

Miscellaneous

Center for Transportation Advancement and Regional Development

Pub. L. 109–59, title V, § 5504, Aug. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1822, provided that:

“(a) Establishment.—The Secretary [of Transportation] shall establish a Center for Transportation Advancement and Regional Development (referred to in this section as the ‘Center’) to assist, through training, education, and research, in the comprehensive development of small metropolitan and rural regional transportation systems that are responsive to the needs of businesses and local communities.

“(b) Activities.—In carrying out this section, the Center shall—

“(1) provide training, information, and professional resources for small metropolitan and rural regions to pursue innovative strategies to expand the capabilities, capacity, and effectiveness of a region’s transportation network, including activities related to freight projects, transit system upgrades, roadways and bridges, and intermodal transfer facilities and operations;

“(2) assist local officials, rural transportation and economic development planners, officials from State departments of transportation and economic development, business leaders, and other stakeholders in developing public-private partnerships to enhance their transportation systems; and

“(3) promote the leveraging of regional transportation planning with regional economic and business development planning to assure that appropriate transportation systems are created.

“(c) Program Administration.—To carry out this section, the Secretary [of Transportation] shall make a grant to, or enter into a cooperative agreement or contract with the National Association of Development Organizations.

“(d) Funding.—

“(1) In general.—Of the amounts made available by section 5101(a)(1) of this Act [119 Stat. 1779], $625,000 shall be available for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009 to carry out this section.

“(2) Federal share.—The Federal share of the cost of activities carried out in accordance with this subsection shall be 100 percent.”

Transportation Scholarship Opportunities Program

Pub. L. 109–59, title V, § 5505, Aug. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1822, provided that:

“(a) In General.—

“(1) Establishment of program.—The Secretary [of Transportation] may establish and implement a scholarship program for the purpose of attracting qualified students for transportation-related critical jobs.

“(2) Partnership.—The Secretary may establish the program in partnership with appropriate nongovernmental institutions.

“(b) Participation.—An operating administration of the Department and the Office of Inspector General may participate in the scholarship program.

“(c) Funding.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary [of Transportation] may use funds available to an operating administration or from the Office of Inspector General of the Department for the purpose of carrying out this section.”