23 USC 504: Training and education

23 USC 504: Training and education Text contains those laws in effect on January 2, 2001

From Title 23-HIGHWAYSCHAPTER 5-RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

§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;

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

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

(3) Courses.-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.

(4) Set-aside; federal share.-Not to exceed ½ of 1 percent of the funds apportioned to a State under section 104(b)(3) for the surface transportation program shall be available for expenditure by the State transportation department for the payment of not to exceed 80 percent of the cost of tuition and direct educational expenses (excluding salaries) in connection with the education and training of employees of State and local transportation agencies in accordance with this subsection.

(5) Federal responsibility.-

(A) In general.-Except as provided in subparagraph (B), education and training of employees of Federal, State, and local transportation (including highway) agencies authorized under this subsection may be provided-

(i) by the Secretary at no cost to the States and local governments if the Secretary determines that provision at no cost is in the public interest; or

(ii) by the State through grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts with public and private agencies, institutions, individuals, and the Institute.

(B) Payment of full cost by private persons.-Private agencies, international or foreign entities, and individuals shall pay the full cost of any education and training received by them unless the Secretary determines that a lower cost is of critical importance to the public interest.

(6) Training fellowships; cooperation.-The Institute may-

(A) engage in training activities authorized under this subsection, including the granting of training fellowships; and

(B) carry out its authority independently or in cooperation with any other branch of the Federal Government or any State agency, authority, association, institution, for-profit or nonprofit corporation, other national or international entity, or other person.

(7) Collection of fees.-

(A) General rule.-In accordance with this subsection, the Institute may assess and collect fees solely to defray the costs of the Institute in developing or administering education and training programs under this subsection.

(B) Limitation.-Fees may be assessed and collected under this subsection only in a manner that may reasonably be expected to result in the collection of fees during any fiscal year in an aggregate amount that does not exceed the aggregate amount of the costs referred to in subparagraph (A) for the fiscal year.

(i) persons and entities for whom education or training programs are developed or administered under this subsection; and

(ii) persons and entities to whom education or training is provided under this subsection.

(D) Amount of fees.-The fees assessed and collected under this subsection shall be established in a manner that ensures that the liability of any person or entity for a fee is reasonably based on the proportion of the costs referred to in subparagraph (A) that relate to the person or entity.

(E) Use.-All fees collected under this subsection shall be used to defray costs associated with the development or administration of education and training programs authorized under this subsection.

(8) Relation to fees.-The funds made available to carry out this subsection may be combined with or held separate from the fees collected under paragraph (7).

(b) Local Technical Assistance Program.-

(1) Authority.-The Secretary shall carry out a local technical assistance program that will provide access to surface transportation technology to-

(A) highway and transportation agencies in urbanized areas with populations of between 50,000 and 1,000,000 individuals;

(B) highway and transportation agencies in rural areas; and

(2) Grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts.-The Secretary may make grants and enter into cooperative agreements and contracts to provide education and training, technical assistance, and related support services to-

(A) assist rural, local transportation agencies and tribal governments, and the consultants and construction personnel working for the agencies and governments, to-

(i) develop and expand their expertise in road and transportation areas (including pavement, bridge, concrete structures, safety management systems, and traffic safety countermeasures);

(ii) improve roads and bridges;

(iii) enhance-

(I) programs for the movement of passengers and freight; and

(II) intergovernmental transportation planning and project selection; and

(iv) deal effectively with special transportation-related problems by preparing and providing training packages, manuals, guidelines, and technical resource materials;

(B) develop technical assistance for tourism and recreational travel;

(C) identify, package, and deliver transportation technology and traffic safety information to local jurisdictions to assist urban transportation agencies in developing and expanding their ability to deal effectively with transportation-related problems;

(D) operate, in cooperation with State transportation departments and universities-

(i) local technical assistance program centers designated to provide transportation technology transfer services to rural areas and to urbanized areas with populations of between 50,000 and 1,000,000 individuals; and

(ii) local technical assistance program centers designated to provide transportation technical assistance to Indian tribal governments; and

(E) allow local transportation agencies and tribal governments, in cooperation with the private sector, to enhance new technology implementation.

(1) General authority.-The Secretary, acting either independently or in cooperation with other Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, may make grants for research fellowships for any purpose for which research is authorized by this chapter.

(2) Dwight david eisenhower transportation fellowship program.-The Secretary shall establish and implement a transportation research fellowship program for the purpose of attracting qualified students to the field of transportation. The program shall be known as the "Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program".

(Added Pub. L. 105–178, title V, §5104, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 429 .)

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 .

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 204 of this title; title 49 section 5505.