Border Enforcement Grant
Overview
Grant Objectives
The BEG program is a Federal discretionary grant program that provides financial assistance to States and entities that share a land border with another country for carrying out border commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety programs and related enforcement activities and projects.
The goal of the BEG program is to reduce the number and severity of commercial motor vehicle crashes in the United States. CMVs from foreign countries entering the United States must comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety and Hazardous Material regulations, financial responsibility and registration requirements of the United States. All drivers of those vehicles must be properly licensed and qualified to operate the CMV.
Congress intended that these Border Enforcement Grants be used primarily for enforcement activities related to foreign-domiciled carriers that engage in international commerce by crossing the Mexican or Canadian borders. Except as indicated in the last sentence of this paragraph, international commerce includes any transportation within the United States intended by the shipper to cross a United States international border before delivery to the consignee. A shipment that originates in one State in the United States and terminates in another State in the United States is not considered transportation in international commerce, even if part of the transportation occurs in a foreign country.
The Federal share of the BEG may be 100 percent of the expenditures approved in the State or entity's Border Enforcement Plan provided the maintenance of expenditures amount is met. Beginning in fiscal year 2017 BEG will become part of the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) as a result of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act).
Requests from entities should be coordinated with the State lead agency for the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP). State lead agency information is available by contacting the FMCSA Division office located within each border state.
Grant Criteria
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) must ensure as steward of the taxpayer dollars, that it awards BEG funds in a manner that considers cost and benefits, performance goals, fiscal responsibility and accountability.
The amount of the award to a qualified applicant will be based on the recommendations from the FMCSA Division office, Technical Review Panel (TRP), Grants Management Office (GMO), and Program Office (PO) and the review of all applications received and the amount of BEG funding available. Applications are evaluated by a cross-discipline team: technical review panel (TRP), grant specialists, program officers, and FMCSA staff responsible for day-to-day grant management oversight. This process includes:
TRP Merit Review: This review provides an independent assessment of the technical/programmatic merit of an application.
Budget Review/Cost Analysis. This review provides an assessment of allowable costs in accordance with Federal grant requirements, the cost realism of the budget estimate, appropriateness and reasonableness of resources, and reasonableness and feasibility of the schedule relative to the application timeline.
Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants. This review provides a risk assessment on each applicant’s organization.
Applicant Past Performance w/ FMCSA. This review provides information that is considered as a possible indicator for predicting future performance. Applicants with no prior FMCSA grant awards will not be eliminated from funding consideration.
Consideration of Program-Specific Aspects: The FMCSA will consider other aspects in the review of the application, in addition to an application’s merit, budget, risk assessment, and past performance.
Grant Eligibility
The following are eligible for the Border Enforcement Grant (BEG):
A State or entity that shares a land border with another country for carrying out commercial motor vehicle safety programs and related enforcement activity and projects.
Individuals are not eligible for BEG funding.
Eligible activities include:
Ensure southern Border States are meeting all Federal requirements specified in Section 350 of the FY 2002 Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, to allow access to Mexico-domiciled carriers beyond the border commercial zones;
Increase the number of CMV safety inspections and commercial driver's license(CDL)/operating authority/financial responsibility checks focusing on the following types of international traffic:
Motor carriers of Property, and
Motor carriers of Hazardous Materials (HM)*,
Increase the number of motor coach inspections to be conducted at or within the commercial zones of international crossings,
Targeted CMV inspections within corridors where there is a significant amount of international traffic based on state transportation statistics.
Improve the capability to conduct CMV safety inspection at remote and other sites near the northern or southern borders. (The list of grant expenditures eligible for reimbursement in subsections (a) through (f) of 49 CFR 350.311, relating to MCSAP should be used as a guide.);
Other innovative initiatives designed to improve the compliance status of CMVs, drivers, and carriers entering the United States from Canada or Mexico; and
Research initiatives focused on cross-border enforcement and related issues.
* If the states safety data reflects crashes or incidents involving HM carriers.
Application and Award Process
Learn more about the application and award process here.
Grant Authorization
Border Enforcement Grant funding, is authorized by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or “FAST” Act, (Public Law 114-94), Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Public Law 109-59, Sections 4101(c)(2) and 4110), as amended by Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century,Pub. L. No.112–141, §§ 32603(c) and 32603(h) (2012), 49 USC Section 31107 (2006) as amended.