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[Excepts of the House Report, H.R. 106-622. Omissions are indicated by ellipses: " * * * * *"]
[From Thomas, a service of the U.S. Congress through its Library. Check for accuracy before
citing or quoting.]
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64 412
106 th Congress
Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session
106-622
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2001
May 17, 2000.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
Mr. Wolf , from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the
following
REPORT
together with
ADDITIONAL VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 4475]
The Committee on Appropriations submits the following report in
explanation of the accompanying bill making appropriations for the
Department of Transportation and related agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2001.
* * * * *
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
SUMMARY OF FISCAL YEAR 2001 PROGRAM
* * * * *
National personal transportation survey .--The Committee has not
provided the $4,750,000 under this heading for activities related to the
national personal transportation survey. The Committee recognizes the
need for such data and has included limited funds for this activity
within funds provided for policy research and the Bureau of
Transportation Statistics.
* * * * *
LIMITATION ON TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH
Limitation, fiscal year 2000\1\
Budget request, fiscal year 2001\1\
Recommended in the bill ($437,250,000)
xlBill compared with:
Limitation, fiscal year 2000 (+437,250,000)
Budget request, fiscal year 2001 (+437,250,000)
\1\Resources available in fiscal year 2000 and requested in fiscal year 2001 are assumed
within the federal-aid highways obligation limitation.
This limitation controls spending for the transportation research and
technology contract programs of the Federal Highway Administration. This
limitation includes a number of contract programs including intelligent
transportation systems, surface transportation research, technology
deployment, training and education, and university transportation
research. In the past, funding under this limitation was provided in
part from the limitation on general operating expenses and from contract
authority provided in permanent law. The recommendation includes an
obligation limitation for transportation research of $437,250,000. This
limitation is consistent with the provisions of TEA21 and mirrors the
House-passed fiscal year 2000 Department of Transportation and Related
Agencies appropriations bill. The Committee recommendation does not
provide an additional $221,500,000 for research and technology programs
requested in the budget to be funded from an increase in contract
authority.
TEA21 authorizes $437,250,000 in fiscal year 2001 for the following
transportation research programs:
Surface transportation research $98,000,000
Technology deployment program 45,000,000
Training and education 18,000,000
Bureau of transportation statistics 31,000,000
ITS standards, research, operational tests, and development 100,000,000
ITS deployment 118,000,000
University transportation research 27,250,000
437,250,000
* * * * *
[Under Surface Transportation Research / Highway Research and Development]
Policy research .--The policy research and technology program
supports FHWA policy analysis and development, strategic planning, and
technology development through research in data collection, management
and dissemination; highway financing, investment analysis, and
performance measurement; and enhancements to highway program
contributions to economic productivity, efficiency, and other national
goals. For fiscal year 2001, the Committee recommends $4,600,000 for
policy research. For several years, the Committee has provided funds for
the department's truck size and weight study, which has been financed
primarily from FHWA's policy research budget. This study has been in
draft format for several years and has received considerable criticism.
The Committee's allowance does not include any funds to continue or
revise this study. The Committee will reconsider the need for updating
this study when debate over highway reauthorization legislation draws
closer. This savings of $450,000 and the additional funds recommended
above the fiscal year 2000 appropriation will allow continued work on
the National Personal Transportation Survey, which is funded under this
category and not under the limitation on administrative expense as
requested by the FHWA. Because of budgetary constraints, the Committee
has deleted funds for research cooperation with various international
organizations and expects to be consulted before future international
agreements that are likely to require financial support are consummated.
* * * * *
Highway operations and asset management .--The highway operations
research program is designed to develop, deliver and deploy advanced
technologies and administrative methods to provide pavement and bridge
durability, and to reduce construction and maintenance-related user
delays. The Committee recommends $5,200,000 for highway operations and
asset management. Funds provided under this category support a variety
of research projects seeking to improve highway operations, including
work to improve the manual on uniform traffic control devices, work zone
operations, technologies that facilitate operational responses to
changes in weather conditions, and freight management operations. Of the
$600,000 provided for asset management, the Committee has not included
any funds for statistical analysis of the National Quality Initiative.
Such analysis shall be performed by the Bureau of Transportation
Statistics.
* * * * *
Section 319 provides that funds received from the sale of data
products of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics may be credited to
the Federal-aid highways account for reimbursing the Bureau for such
expenses and that such funds shall be subject to the obligation
limitation for federal-aid highways and highway safety construction.
* * * * *
CHANGES IN THE APPLICATION OF EXISTING LAW
* * * * *
Section 319 allows funds received by the Bureau of Transportation
Statistics from the sale of data products be credited to the Federal-aid
highways account for the purpose of reimbursing the Bureau for such
expenses.
* * * * *
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