the Federal Highway Administration’s research and tech-
nology objectives and activities under section 502. 
‘‘(i) CENTERS FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EX-
CELLENCE.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary may es-
tablish not more than 4 centers for surface transpor-
tation excellence. 
‘‘(2) GOALS.—The goals of the centers for sur-
face transportation excellence are to promote and 
support strategic national surface transportation 
programs and activities relating to the work of State 
departments of transportation. 
‘‘(3) ROLE OF THE CENTERS.—To achieve the 
goals set forth in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall 
establish centers that provide technical assistance, 
information sharing of best practices, and training 
in the use of tools and decisionmaking processes that 
can assist States in effectively implementing surface 
transportation programs, projects, and policies. 
‘‘(4) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.— 
‘‘(A) COMPETITION.—A party entering 
into a contract, cooperative agreement, or other 
transaction with the Secretary under this sub-
section, or receiving a grant to perform re-
search or provide technical assistance under 
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this subsection, shall be selected on a competi-
tive basis. 
‘‘(B) STRATEGIC
PLAN.—The Secretary 
shall require each center to develop a multiyear 
strategic plan, and submit the plan to the Sec-
retary at such time as the Secretary requires, 
that describes— 
‘‘(i) the activities to be undertaken by 
the center; and 
‘‘(ii) how the work of the center will 
be coordinated with the activities of the 
Federal Highway Administration and the 
various other research, development, and 
technology transfer activities authorized by 
this chapter. 
‘‘(5) FUNDING.—Of the amounts made avail-
able by section 2(a)(1) of the Driving Research 
through Innovative Viable Economic Solutions Act 
of 2012, not more than $3,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2013 through 2016 shall be available to carry 
out this subsection.’’. 
SEC. 4. TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT. 
Section 503 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended— 
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(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as sub-
section (f); and 
(2) by striking subsections (a) through (d) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 
technology deployment program relating to all aspects of 
highway transportation with the goals of— 
‘‘(1) significantly accelerating the adoption of 
innovative technologies by the surface transportation 
community; 
‘‘(2) providing leadership and incentives to 
demonstrate and promote state-of-the-art tech-
nologies, elevated performance standards, and new 
business practices in highway construction processes 
that result in improved safety, faster construction, 
reduced congestion from construction, and improved 
quality and user satisfaction; 
‘‘(3) 
constructing 
longer-lasting 
highways 
through the use of innovative technologies and prac-
tices that lead to faster construction of efficient and 
safe highways and bridges; 
‘‘(4) improving highway efficiency, safety, mo-
bility, reliability, service life, and environmental pro-
tection; and 
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‘‘(5) developing and deploying new tools, tech-
niques, and practices to accelerate the adoption of 
innovation in all aspects of highway transportation. 
‘‘(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary shall pro-
mote, facilitate, and carry out the program established 
under subsection (a) to distribute the products, tech-
nologies, tools, methods, or other findings that result from 
highway research and development activities, including re-
search and development activities carried out under this 
chapter and subtitle C of title V of SAFETEA-LU. 
‘‘(c) ACCELERATED INNOVATION DEPLOYMENT.—In 
carrying out the program established under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) establish and carry out demonstration pro-
grams; 
‘‘(2) provide incentives, technical assistance, 
and training to researchers and developers; and 
‘‘(3) develop improved tools and methods to ac-
celerate the adoption of proven innovative practices 
and technologies as standard practices. 
‘‘(d) GRANTS, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, AND 
CONTRACTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Under the program, the 
Secretary may make grants to, and enter into coop-
erative agreements and contracts with, States, other 
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Federal agencies, institutions of higher education, 
private sector entities, and nonprofit organizations 
to pay the Federal share of the cost of research, de-
velopment, and deployment activities. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATIONS.—To receive a grant under 
this subsection, an entity described in paragraph (1) 
shall submit an application to the Secretary. The ap-
plication shall be in such form and contain such in-
formation and assurances as the Secretary may re-
quire. 
‘‘(3) TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION TRANS-
FER.—The Secretary shall ensure that the informa-
tion and technology resulting from research con-
ducted under this subsection is made available to 
State and local transportation departments and 
other interested parties as specified by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(e) IMPLEMENTATION
OF
FUTURE
STRATEGIC 
HIGHWAY
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
FINDINGS
AND
RE-
SULTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the American Association of State High-
way and Transportation Officials and the Transpor-
tation Research Board of the National Academy of 
Sciences, shall, as appropriate, implement the find-
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