G/TBT/N/USA/1180  
 
10 August 2016  
(16-4287) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original : English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member : UNITED STATES OF AME RICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved  (Article 3.2 and 7.2) : 
2. Agency responsible : Federal Transit Admin istration (FTA), Department of Transportation 
(DOT) [1198]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification  shall be indicated if different from above : 
Please submit comments to : USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point  
Email : usatbtep@nist.gov   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  ], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], other : X 
4. Products covered (HS or CC CN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : Buses . Environmental 
protection (ICS : 13.020), Commercial vehicles (ICS : 43.080)  
5. Title, number of pages  and language(s)  of the notified document : Bus 
Testing : Establishment of Performance Standards, a Bus Model Scoring System, a Pass/Fail 
Standard and Other Program Updates (28 pages, in English)   
6. Description of content : The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is issuing a new pass/fai l 
standard and new aggregated scoring system for buses and modified vans (hereafter 
referred to as "bus" or "buses") that are subject to FTA's bus testing program, as mandated 
by Section 20014 of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP -21). The 
pass/fail standard and scoring system address the followin g categories as required by 
MAP-21: Structural integrity, safety, maintainability, reliability, fuel economy, emissions, 
noise, and performance. Recipients of FTA grants are prohibited from using FTA financial 
assistance to procure new buses that have not met the minimum performance standards 
established by today's final rule. Finally, FTA is requiring bus manufacturers to provide 
country -of-origin information for test unit bus components, in  lieu of applying Buy America 
U.S. content requirements to all buses submitted for testing.  
7. Objective and rationale , including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : Protection of human health or safety; Protection of the environment ; 
Preventi on of deceptive practices and consumer protection  
8. Relevant documents : 
 81 Federal Register (FR) 50367, 1 August 2016; Title 49 Code of Feder al Regulations 
(CFR) Part 665.  
 Bus Testing : Establishment of Performance Standards, a Bus Model Scoring System, 
a Pass/Fail Standard and other Program Updates  – Notice of proposed rul emaking 
published 23 June 2015:  
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2015-06-23/html/2015 -14176.htm  
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2015-06-23/pdf/2015 -14176.pdf  G/TBT/N/USA/1180  
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption : 31 October 2016  
Proposed date of entry into force : 31 October 2016   
10. Final date for comme nts: None 
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point  [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
number s and e mail and website address es, if available , of other body : 
https:// members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/USA/16_3165_00_e.pdf