A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a university transportation center to be known as the "Southwest Bridge Research Center".

Summary: Southwest Bridge Research Center Establishment Act of 2003 - Amends Federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation, in addition to grants that university transportation centers receive under the Act, to provide grants to New Mexico State University, in collaboration with the Oklahoma Transportation Center, to establish a university transportation center known as the Southwest Bridge Research Center. Declares that the purpose of the Center is to contribute at a national level to a systems approach to improving the overall performance of bridges. Sets forth certain grant requirements.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Southwest Bridge Research Center 
Establishment Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. BRIDGE RESEARCH CENTER.

    Section 5505 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(k) Southwest Bridge Research Center.--
            ``(1) In general.--In addition to the university 
        transportation centers receiving grants under subsections (a) 
        and (b), the Secretary shall provide grants to New Mexico State 
        University, in collaboration with the Oklahoma Transportation 
        Center, to establish and operate a university transportation 
        center to be known as the `Southwest Bridge Research Center' 
        (referred to in this subsection as the `Center').
            ``(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Center shall be to 
        contribute at a national level to a systems approach to 
        improving the overall performance of bridges, with an emphasis 
        on--
                    ``(A) increasing the number of highly skilled 
                individuals entering the field of transportation;
                    ``(B) improving the monitoring of structural health 
                over the life of bridges;
                    ``(C) developing innovative technologies for bridge 
                testing and assessment;
                    ``(D) developing technologies and procedures for 
                ensuring bridge safety, reliability, and security; and
                    ``(E) providing training in the methods for bridge 
                inspection and evaluation.
            ``(3) Objectives.--The Center shall carry out the following 
        programs and activities:
                    ``(A) Basic and applied research, the products of 
                which shall be judged by peers or other experts in the 
                field to advance the body of knowledge in 
                transportation.
                    ``(B) An education program that includes 
                multidisciplinary course work and participation in 
                research.
                    ``(C) An ongoing program of technology transfer 
                that makes research results available to potential 
                users in a form that can be implemented.
            ``(4) Maintenance of effort.--To be eligible to receive a 
        grant under this subsection, the institution specified in 
        paragraph (1) shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary 
        to ensure that, for each fiscal year after establishment of the 
        Center, the institution will fund research activities relating 
        to transportation in an amount that is at least equal to the 
        average annual amount of funds expended for the activities for 
        the 2 fiscal years preceding the fiscal year in which the grant 
        is received.
            ``(5) Cost sharing.--
                    ``(A) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost 
                of any activity carried out using funds from a grant 
                provided under this subsection shall be 50 percent.
                    ``(B) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of 
                the cost of any activity carried out using funds from a 
                grant provided under this subsection may include funds 
                provided to the recipient under any of sections 503, 
                504(b), and 505 of title 23.
                    ``(C) Ongoing programs.--After establishment of the 
                Center, the institution specified in paragraph (1) 
                shall obligate for each fiscal year not less than 
                $200,000 in regularly budgeted institutional funds to 
                support ongoing transportation research and education 
                programs.
            ``(6) Program coordination.--
                    ``(A) Coordination.--The Secretary shall--
                            ``(i) coordinate the research, education, 
                        training, and technology transfer activities 
                        carried out by the Center;
                            ``(ii) disseminate the results of that 
                        research; and
                            ``(iii) establish and operate a 
                        clearinghouse for information derived from that 
                        research.
                    ``(B) Annual review and evaluation.--At least 
                annually, and in accordance with the plan developed 
                under section 508 of title 23, the Secretary shall 
                review and evaluate each program carried out by the 
                Center using funds from a grant provided under this 
                subsection.
            ``(7) Limitation on availability of funds.--Funds made 
        available to carry out this subsection shall remain available 
        for obligation for a period of 2 years after the last day of 
        the fiscal year for which the funds are authorized.
            ``(8) Amount of grant.--For each of fiscal years 2004 
        through 2009, the Secretary shall provide a grant in the amount 
        of $3,000,000 to the institution specified in paragraph (1) to 
        carry out this subsection.
            ``(9) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the 
        Mass Transit Account) to carry out this subsection $3,000,000 
        for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2009.''.