Transportation Reports Elimination Act of 2014

Summary: .  Transportation Reports Elimination Act of 2014 - (Sec. 2) Eliminates certain mandatory reports to specified congressional committees from the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) on: (1)&nbsp; Airport Improvement Project grants, (2) Pipeline Safety Information Grants to Communities, (3) the pilot program for innovative financing of air traffic control equipment (under the Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act), and (4)&nbsp; the application of new aircraft and aircraft engine standards or technologies to reduce aircraft noise levels (under the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century). Eliminates certain mandatory Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports with respect to the Air Traffic Services Committee and the establishment of an Air Defense Identification Zone (under the Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act). Eliminates mandatory reports to specified congressional committees from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding Great Lakes Management, the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (under the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act of 1992), and the research program respecting ocean dumping and other methods of waste disposal (under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972). (Sec. 3) Requires the annual marine safety report to Congress of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to identify: (1) the number of civilian and military Coast Guard personnel assigned to marine safety positions; and (2) marine safety positions that are understaffed for purposes of facilitating the marine safety strategy and achieving its goals. Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to submit an annual Maritime Transportation Security report to specified congressional committees that includes: (1) a summary of security standards established and the level of compliance with them, and steps taken to ensure compliance, by ports, terminals, vessel operators, and shippers; and (2) the number of security zones established for vessels containing especially hazardous cargo, and the number of such vessels provided a waterborne security escort. Requires such report also to assess any additional vessels, personnel, infrastructure, or other resources that may be necessary to provide waterborne escorts to such vessels. Postpones till certain dates in 2014 the DOT Secretary's first biennial reports to specified congressional committees on infrastructure investment needs and the financial performance of projects receiving, or which have already received, infrastructure finance assistance. Changes from March to July, starting July 2014, the deadline for the biennial DOT public mass transportation system reports to Congress. Repeals the requirement that the Comptroller General (GAO) evaluation and audit of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) be conducted at least annually. Requires the DOT Secretary and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to include the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in their quarterly briefings to Congress on any memorandum of agreement between them for coordination of their roles and responsibilities in providing assistance for public transportation. (Sec. 4) Revises the requirement for biennial reports to specified congressional committees on state progress in implementing projects to improve railway-highway crossings to make them (paperless) reports to the public on the DOT website. Requires the same shift to paperless reports to the public on the DOT website with respect to mandatory annual or biennial reports concerning: (1) the national bridge and tunnel inventory; (2) the surface transportation project delivery program; (3) highway safety programs; (4) in-vehicle alcohol detection device research; (5) the National Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Program Plan; (6) research, technology, and education advisory committee recommendations; (7) high-risk rural roads best practices; and (8) a specified comparison of the completion times of categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and environmental impact statements for federal-aid highway projects among specified time periods. Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to require publication also on the DOT website of national ferry database updates.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Transportation Reports Elimination 
Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Department of Transportation.--
            (1) Air traffic services committee reports.--Section 
        106(p)(7) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
                    (A) by striking subparagraph (H); and
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (I) as 
                subparagraph (H).
            (2) Annual summaries of financial reports.--Subsection (k) 
        of section 47107 of title 49, United States Code, is repealed.
            (3) Pipeline safety information grants to communities 
        annual report.--Section 60130 of title 49, United States Code, 
        is amended--
                    (A) by striking subsection (c); and
                    (B) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection 
                (c).
            (4) Pilot program for innovative financing of air traffic 
        control equipment annual report.--Section 182 of the Vision 
        100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (49 U.S.C. 44502 
        note) is amended--
                    (A) by striking subsection (e); and
                    (B) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection 
                (e).
            (5) Justification for air defense identification zone.--
        Section 602 of the Vision 100--Century of Aviation 
        Reauthorization Act (Public Law 108-176; 117 Stat. 2563), and 
        the item relating to that section in the table of contents in 
        section 1(b) of that Act, are repealed.
            (6) Standards for aircraft and aircraft engines to reduce 
        noise levels annual report.--Section 726 of the Wendell H. Ford 
        Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (49 
        U.S.C. 47508 note) is amended by striking subsection (c).
    (b) Environmental Protection Agency.--
            (1) Great lakes management comprehensive report.--Section 
        118(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
        1268(c)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (10); and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (11), (12), and 
                (13) as paragraphs (10), (11), and (12), respectively.
            (2) General assistance program report to congress.--The 
        Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act of 1992 (42 
        U.S.C. 4368b) is amended by striking subsection (i).
            (3) Research program respecting ocean dumping and other 
        methods of waste disposal report by administrator.--Section 204 
        of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 
        (33 U.S.C. 1444) is amended--
                    (A) by striking subsection (b); and
                    (B) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection 
                (b).

SEC. 3. CONSOLIDATION OR MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN REPORTS.

    (a) Marine Safety Report to Congress.--
            (1) Consolidation.--Section 2116(d)(2)(B) of title 46, 
        United States Code, is amended by striking ``under subsection 
        (b); and'' and inserting ``under subsection (b), which shall 
        include an identification of--
                            ``(i) the number of civilian and military 
                        Coast Guard personnel assigned to marine safety 
                        positions; and
                            ``(ii) marine safety positions that are 
                        understaffed for purposes of facilitating the 
                        strategy and achieving the goals described in 
                        subsection (a); and''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 57 of title 14, United 
        States Code, is amended--
                    (A) by striking subsection (e); and
                    (B) by redesignating subsections (f), (g), and (h) 
                as subsections (e), (f), and (g), respectively.
    (b) Maritime Transportation Security Annual Report.--
            (1) Consolidation.--Section 70103 of title 46, United 
        States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Annual Report.--On the date on which the President submits to 
Congress a budget pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, the Secretary 
of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall submit to 
the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that 
includes--
            ``(1) with respect to the last full fiscal year preceding 
        the report--
                    ``(A) a summary of--
                            ``(i) security standards established 
                        pursuant to this section; and
                            ``(ii) the level of compliance and steps 
                        taken to ensure compliance by ports, terminals, 
                        vessel operators, and shippers with respect to 
                        security standards established pursuant to this 
                        section; and
                    ``(B) a statement of the number of--
                            ``(i) security zones established for 
                        vessels containing especially hazardous cargo; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) vessels containing especially 
                        hazardous cargo provided a waterborne security 
                        escort, subdivided by Federal, State, local, or 
                        private security provider; and
            ``(2) an assessment of any additional vessels, personnel, 
        infrastructure, or other resources that may be necessary to 
        provide waterborne escorts to vessels containing especially 
        hazardous cargo for which a security zone is established.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) Especially hazardous cargo.--Section 70103(e) 
                of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking 
                paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Especially hazardous cargo defined.--In this 
        subsection and subsection (f), the term `especially hazardous 
        cargo' means anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate, chlorine, 
        liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and any other 
        substance, material, or group or class of material, in a 
        particular amount and form that the Secretary determines by 
        regulation poses a significant risk of creating a 
        transportation security incident while being transported in 
        maritime commerce.''.
                    (B) Vessel and intermodal security reports.--
                Section 809 of the Coast Guard and Maritime 
                Transportation Act of 2004 (46 U.S.C. 70101 note) is 
                amended--
                            (i) in subsection (a) by striking ``and 
                        (j)'' and inserting ``and (i)'';
                            (ii) by striking subsection (i); and
                            (iii) by redesignating subsections (j) and 
                        (k) as subsections (i) and (j), respectively.
    (c) Modifications.--
            (1) Infrastructure investment needs report.--Section 
        503(b)(8)(A) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by 
        striking ``July 31, 2013, and July 31'' and inserting ``July 
        31, 2014, and July 31''.
            (2) Reports to congress.--Section 609 of title 23, United 
        States Code, is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a) by striking ``June 1, 2012,'' 
                and inserting ``June 1, 2014,''; and
                    (B) in subsection (b)(1) by striking ``December 1, 
                2012,'' and inserting ``December 1, 2014,''.
            (3) Public mass transportation systems report.--Section 
        308(e)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
        striking ``March 1998, and in March'' and inserting ``July 
        2014, and in July''.
            (4) Evaluation and audit of national transportation safety 
        board.--Section 1138(a) of title 49, United States Code, is 
        amended by striking ``at least annually, but may be 
        conducted''.
            (5) Briefings.--Section 20017(b)(6) of MAP-21 (49 U.S.C. 
        5324 note; 126 Stat. 706) is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A) by inserting after ``the 
                Senate'' the following: ``and the Committee on 
                Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
                Representatives''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B) by inserting after ``the 
                Senate'' the following: ``and the Committee on 
                Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
                Representatives''.

SEC. 4. PAPERLESS REPORTS.

    (a) Railway-Highway Crossings Annual Report.--Section 130(g) of 
title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking the third sentence 
and inserting the following: ``The Secretary shall make available to 
the public on the Web site of the Department of Transportation, not 
later than April 1, 2014, and every 2 years thereafter, a report on the 
progress being made by the State in implementing projects to improve 
railway-highway crossings.''.
    (b) National Bridge and Tunnel Inventory Report.--Section 
144(d)(1)(B) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public 
Works of the Senate'' and inserting ``make available to the public on 
the Web site of the Department of Transportation''.
    (c) Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program Report.--
Section 327 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking 
subsection (i) and inserting the following:
    ``(i) Report.--The Secretary shall make available to the public on 
the Web site of the Department of Transportation an annual report that 
describes the administration of the program.''.
    (d) Highway Safety Programs Biennial Report.--Section 402(n) of 
title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``to Congress'' in the subsection heading; 
        and
            (2) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking 
        ``submit a report to the Committee on Transportation and 
        Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
        Senate'' and inserting ``make available to the public on the 
        Web site of the Department of Transportation a report''.
    (e) In-Vehicle Alcohol Detection Device Research Reports.--Section 
403(h)(4) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``submit an annual report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, and Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives'' and 
inserting ``make available to the public on the Web site of the 
Department of Transportation an annual report''.
    (f) National ITS Program Plan Reporting.--Section 512(b) of title 
23, United States Code, is amended by striking ``submitted'' and all 
that follows through the period at the end and inserting ``made 
available to the public, and updated biennially, on the Web site of the 
Department of Transportation.''.
    (g) Advisory Committee Report.--Section 515(h)(4) of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``of each year after the date of enactment 
        of the Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Act of 
        2012,'' and inserting ``, 2014, and biennially thereafter,'';
            (2) by striking ``submit to Congress'' and inserting ``make 
        available to the public on the Web site of the Department of 
        Transportation''; and
            (3) in subparagraph (A) by striking ``calendar year'' and 
        inserting ``2 calendar years''.
    (h) National Ferry Database Update Report.--Section 1801(e)(3) of 
SAFETEA-LU (23 U.S.C. 129 note) is amended by inserting ``and shall 
make any such modified report available to the public on the Web site 
of the Department'' before the period at the end.
    (i) High-Risk Rural Roads Best Practices Report.--Section 
1112(b)(2)(A) of MAP-21 (23 U.S.C. 148 note) is amended by striking 
``submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives'' and inserting ``make available to the public on the 
Web site of the Department''.
    (j) Completion Time Assessment Report.--Section 1323(a)(2) of MAP-
21 (126 Stat. 553) is amended by striking ``submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate'' and 
inserting ``make available to the public on the Web site of the 
Department''.
    (k) Additional Report.--Section 1323(b) of MAP-21 (126 Stat. 554) 
is amended by striking ``submit to the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works of the Senate'' and


              

 inserting ``make available to the public on the Web site of the 
Department''.

            Passed the House of Representatives January 8, 2014.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.