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[THE FOLLOWING TEXT FILE OF H.R. 2950 (ENROLLED BILL), PUB. L. 102-240,
105 STAT. 1914, WAS PURCHASED FROM THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. CHECK
FOR ACCURACY BEFORE QUOTING ANY TEXT.]
[Title V - Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act of 1991 (ISTEA) - PL 102-240]
TITLE V-INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION
SEC. 5001. NATIONAL GOAL TO PROMOTE INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION.
Section 302 of title 49, United States Code (relating to policy standards
for transportation), is further amended by adding at the end the following
new subsection:
``(e) Intermodal Transportation.-It is the policy of the United States
Government to encourage and promote development of a national intermodal
transportation system in the United States to move people and goods in
an energyefficient manner, provide the foundation for improved productivity
growth, strengthen the Nation's ability to compete in the global economy,
and obtain the optimum yield from the Nation's transportation resources.''.
SEC. 5002. DUTIES OF SECRETARY; OFFICE OF INTERMODALISM.
(a) Duties of Secretary.-Section 301 of title 49, United States Code
(relating to leadership, consultation and cooperation), is amended by redesignating
paragraphs (3) through (7) as paragraphs (4) through (8), respectively,
and by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new paragraph:
``(3) coordinate Federal policy on intermodal transportation and initiate
policies to promote efficient intermodal transportation in the United States;''.
(b) Intermodal Transportation Advisory Board.
(1) Establishment.-There shall be established within the Office of the
Secretary an Intermodal Transportation Advisory Board.
(2) Membership.-The Intermodal Transportation Advisory Board shall consist
of the Secretary, who shall serve as Chairman, and the Administrator, or
his or her designee, of-
(A) the Federal Highway Administration;
(B) the Federal Aviation Administration;
(C) the Maritime Administration;
(D) the Federal Railroad Administration; and
(E) the Federal Transit Administration.
(3) Functions.-The Intermodal Transportation Advisory Board shall provide
recommendations for carrying out the responsibilities of the Secretary
described in section 301(3) of title 49, United States Code.
(c) Office of Intermodalism.-
(1) Establishment.-The Secretary shall establish within the Office of
the Secretary an Office of Intermodalism.
(2) Director.-The Office shall be headed by a Director who shall be
appointed by the Secretary not later than 6 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
(3) Function.-The Director shall be responsible for carrying out the
responsibilities of the Secretary described in section 301(3) of title
49, United States Code.
(4) Intermodal transportation data base.-The Director shall develop,
maintain, and disseminate intermodal transportation data through the Bureau
of Transportation Statistics. The Director shall coordinate the collection
of data for the data base with the States and metropolitan planning organizations.
The data base shall include-
(A) information on the volume of goods and number of people carried
in intermodal transportation by relevant classification;
(B) information on patterns of movement of goods and people carried
in intermodal transportation by relevant classification in terms of origin
and destination; and
(C) information on public and private investment in intermodal transportation
facilities and services.
The Director shall make information from the data base available to
the public.
(5) Research.-The Director shall be responsible for coordinating Federal
research on intermodal transportation in accordance with the plan developed
pursuant to section 6009(b) of this Act and for carrying out additional
research needs identified by the Director.
(6) Technical assistance.-The Director shall provide technical assistance
to States and to metropolitan planning organizations for urban areas having
a population of 1,000,000 or more in collecting data relating to intermodal
transportation in order to facilitate the collection of such data by such
States and metropolitan planning organizations.
(7) Administrative and clerical support.-The Director shall provide
administrative and clerical support to the Intermodal Transportation Advisory
Board.
SEC. 5003. MODEL INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLANS.
(a) Grants.-The Secretary shall make grants to States for the purpose
of developing model State intermodal transportation plans which are consistent
with the policy set forth in section 302(e) of title 49, United States
Code. Such model plans shall include systems for collecting data relating
to intermodal transportation.
(b) Distribution.-The Secretary shall award grants to States under this
section which represent a variety of geographic regions and transportation
needs, patterns, and modes.
(c) Transmittal of Plans.-As a condition to receiving a grant under
this section, the Secretary shall require that a State provide assurances
that the State will transmit to the Secretary a State intermodal transportation
plan not later than 18 months after the date of receipt of such grant.
(d) Aggregate Amount.-The Secretary shall reserve, from amounts deducted
under section 104(a) of title 23, United States Code, $3,000,000 for the
purpose of making grants under this section. The aggregate amount which
a State may receive in grants under this section shall not exceed $500,000.
SEC. 5004. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Study.-Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the National
Academy of Public Administration to continue a study of options for organizing
the Department of Transportation to increase the effectiveness of program
delivery, reduce costs, and improve intermodal coordination among surface
transportationrelated agencies.
(b) Report.-The Secretary shall report to Congress on the findings of
the study continued under subsection (a) and recommend appropriate organizational
changes no later than January 1, 1993. No organizational changes shall
be implemented until such changes are approved by law.
SEC. 5005. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION.
(a) Establishment.-There is established a National Commission on Intermodal
Transportation.
(b) Function.-The Commission shall make a complete investigation and
study of intermodal transportation in the United States and internationally.
The Commission shall determine the status of intermodal transportation,
the problems that exist with respect to intermodal transportation, and
the resources needed to enhance intermodal transportation. Based on such
investigation and study, the Commission shall recommend those policies
which need to be adopted to achieve the national goal of an efficient intermodal
transportation system.
(c) Specific Matters To Be Addressed.-The Commission shall specifically
investigate and study the following:
(1) Intermodal standardization.-The Commission, in coordination with
the National Academy of Sciences, shall examine current and potential impediments
to international standardization in specific elements of intermodal transportation.
The Commission shall evaluate the potential benefits and relative priority
of standardization in each such element and the time period and investment
necessary to adopt such standards.
(2) Intermodal impacts on public works infrastructure.-The Commission
shall examine current and projected intermodal traffic flows, including
the current and projected market for intermodal transportation, and how
such traffic flows affect infrastructure needs. The Commission shall make
recommendations as to capital needs for infrastructure development that
will be required to accommodate intermodal transportation, particularly
with respect to surface transportation access to airports and ports.
(3) Legal impediments to efficient intermodal transportation.-The Commission
shall identify legal impediments to efficient intermodal transportation.
Specifically, the Commission shall study the relationship between current
regulatory schemes for individual modes of transportation and intermodal
transportation efficiency.
(4) Financial issues.-The Commission shall examine existing impediments
to the efficient financing of intermodal transportation improvements. In
carrying out such examination, the Commission shall examine (A) the most
efficient use of existing sources of funds for connecting individual modes
of transportation and for accommodating transfers between such modes, and
(B) the use of innovative methods of financing for making such improvements.
The Commission shall examine current methods of public funding, the desirability
of increased flexibility in the use of amounts in Federal transportation
trust funds, and increased use of private sources of funding.
(5) New technologies.-The Commission shall study new technologies for
improving intermodal transportation and problems associated with incorporating
these new technologies in intermodal transportation.
(6) Documentation.-The Commission shall study problems in documentation
resulting from intermodal transfers of freight and make recommendations
for achieving uniform, efficient, and simplified documentation.
(7) Research and development.-The Commission shall identify the areas
relating to intermodal transportation for which continued research and
development is needed after the report required by this section is completed,
and propose an agenda for carrying out such research and development.
(8) Productivity.-The Commission shall examine the relationship of intermodal
transportation to transportation rates, transportation costs, and economic
productivity.
(d) Membership.-
(1) Appointment.-The Commission shall be composed of 11 members as follows:
(A) 3 members appointed by the President.
(B) 2 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(C) 2 members appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives.
(D) 2 members appointed by the majority leader of the Senate.
(E) 2 members appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.
(2) Qualifications.-Members appointed pursuant to paragraph (1) shall
be appointed from among individuals interested in intermodal transportation
policy, including representatives of Federal, State, and local governments,
other public transportation authorities or agencies, and organizations
representing transportation providers, shippers, labor, the financial community,
and consumers.
(3) Terms.-Members shall be appointed for the life of the Commission.
(4) Vacancies.-A vacancy in the Commission 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 Commission shall be elected by the
members.
(e) Staff.-The Commission may appoint and fix the pay of such personnel
as it considers appropriate.
(f) Staff of Federal Agencies.-Upon request of the Commission, 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 Commission
to assist it in carrying out its duties under this section.
(g) Administrative Support Services.-Upon the request of the Commission,
the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the Commission,
on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support services necessary
for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities under this section.
(h) Obtaining Official Data.-The Commission may secure directly from
any department or agency of the United States information (other than information
required by any statute of the United States to be kept confidential by
such department or agency) necessary for the Commission to carry out its
duties under this section. Upon request of the Commission, the head of
that department or agency shall furnish such nonconfidential information
to the Commission.
(i) Report and Proposed National Intermodal Transportation Plan.-Not
later than September 30, 1993, the Commission shall transmit to Congress
a final report on the results of the investigation and study conducted
under this section. The report shall include recommendations of the Commission
for implementing the policy set forth in section 302(e) of title 49, United
States Code, including a proposed national intermodal transportation plan
and a proposed agenda for implementing the plan.
(j) Termination.-The Commission shall terminate on the 180th day following
the date of transmittal of the report under subsection (i). All records
and papers of the Commission shall thereupon be delivered to the Administrator
of General Services for deposit in the National Archives.
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