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section 13902(c) of title 49, United States Code, applies
to a motor carrier (as defined in section 13902(e) of such
title), that motor carrier may not lease a commercial
motor vehicle to another motor carrier or a motor private
carrier to transport property in the United States.
(e) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—No provision of this section
may be enforced if it is inconsistent with any international
agreement of the United States.
(f) ACTS OF EMPLOYEES.—The actions of any em-
ployee driver of a foreign motor carrier or foreign motor
private carrier committed without the knowledge of the
carrier or committed unintentionally shall not be grounds
for penalty or disqualification under this section.
SEC. 220. TRAFFIC LAW INITIATIVE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In cooperation with one or more
States, the Secretary may carry out a program to develop
innovative methods of improving motor carrier compliance
with traffic laws. Such methods may include the use of
photography and other imaging technologies.
(b) REPORT.—The Secretary shall transmit to Con-
gress a report on the results of any program conducted
under this section, together with any recommendations as
the Secretary determines appropriate.
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SEC. 221. STATE-TO-STATE NOTIFICATION OF VIOLATIONS
DATA.
(a) DEVELOPMENT.—In cooperation with the States,
the Secretary shall develop a uniform system to support
the electronic transmission of data State-to-State on con-
victions for all motor vehicle traffic control law violations
by individuals possessing a commercial drivers’ licenses as
required by paragraphs (9) and (19) of section 31311(a)
of title 49, United States Code.
(b) STATUS REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on the status of the implementation
of this section.
SEC. 222. MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM ASSESSMENTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation
should ensure that motor carriers operate safely by impos-
ing civil penalties at a level calculated to ensure prompt
and sustained compliance with Federal motor carrier safe-
ty and commercial driver’s license laws.
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary—
(1) should establish and assess minimum civil
penalties for each violation of a law referred to in
subsection (a); and
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(2) shall assess the maximum civil penalty for
each violation of a law referred to in subsection (a)
by any person who is found to have committed a
pattern of violations of critical or acute regulations
issued to carry out such a law or to have previously
committed the same or a related violation of critical
or acute regulations issued to carry out such a law.
(c) EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.—If the Sec-
retary determines and documents that extraordinary cir-
cumstances exist which merit the assessment of any civil
penalty lower than any level established under subsection
(b), the Secretary may assess such lower penalty. In cases
where a person has been found to have previously com-
mitted the same or a related violation of critical or acute
regulations issued to carry out a law referred to in sub-
section (a), extraordinary circumstances may be found to
exist when the Secretary determines that repetition of
such violation does not demonstrate a failure to take ap-
propriate remedial action.
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct
a study of the effectiveness of the revised civil pen-
alties established in the Transportation Equity Act
for the 21st Century and this Act in ensuring
prompt and sustained compliance with Federal
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motor carrier safety and commercial driver’s license
laws.
(2) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary
shall transmit the results of such study and any rec-
ommendations to Congress by September 30, 2002.
SEC. 223. MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY PROGRESS REPORT.
Not later than May 25, 2000, the Secretary shall
transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives a status report on the Department of Trans-
portation’s quantitative progress toward reducing motor
carrier fatalities by 50 percent by the year 2009.
SEC. 224. STUDY OF COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH
CAUSATION.
(a) OBJECTIVES.—The Secretary shall conduct a
comprehensive study to determine the causes of, and con-
tributing factors to, crashes that involve commercial motor
vehicles. The study shall also identify data requirements
and collection procedures, reports, and other measures
that will improve the Department of Transportation’s and
States’ ability to—
(1) evaluate future crashes involving commer-
cial motor vehicles;
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(2) monitor crash trends and identify causes
and contributing factors; and
(3) develop effective safety improvement policies
and programs.
(b) DESIGN.—The study shall be designed to yield
information that will help the Department and the States
identify activities and other measures likely to lead to sig-
nificant reductions in the frequency, severity, and rate per
mile traveled of crashes involving commercial motor vehi-
cles, including vehicles described in section 31132(1)(B)
of title 49, United States Code. As practicable, the study
shall rank such activities and measures by the reductions
each would likely achieve, if implemented.
(c) CONSULTATION.—In designing and conducting
the study, the Secretary shall consult with persons with
expertise on—
(1) crash causation and prevention;
(2) commercial motor vehicles, drivers, and car-
riers, including passenger carriers;
(3) highways and noncommercial motor vehicles
and drivers;
(4) Federal and State highway and motor car-
rier safety programs;
(5) research methods and statistical analysis;
and
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(6) other relevant topics.
(d) PUBLIC COMMENT.—The Secretary shall make
available for public comment information about the objec-
tives, methodology, implementation, findings, and other
aspects of the study.
(e) REPORTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall prompt-
ly transmit to Congress the results of the study, to-
gether with any legislative recommendations.
(2) REVIEW AND UPDATE.—The Secretary shall
review the study at least once every 5 years and up-
date the study and report as necessary.
(f) FUNDING.—Of the amounts made available for
each of fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003 under section
4003(i) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century (112 Stat. 395–398), as added by section
103(b)(1) of this Act, $5,000,000 per fiscal year shall be
available only to carry out this section.
SEC. 225. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In cooperation with the States,
the Secretary shall carry out a program to improve the
collection and analysis of data on crashes, including crash
causation, involving commercial motor vehicles.
(b) PROGRAM
ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary
shall administer the program through the National High-
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way Traffic Safety Administration in cooperation with the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The Na-
tional Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall—
(1) enter into agreements with the States to
collect data and report the data by electronic means
to a central data repository; and
(2) train State employees and motor carrier
safety enforcement officials to assure the quality and
uniformity of the data.
(c) USE OF DATA.—The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration shall—
(1) integrate the data, including driver citation
and conviction information; and
(2) make the data base available electronically
to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,
the States, motor carriers, and other interested par-
ties for problem identification, program evaluation,
planning, and other safety-related activities.
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date
on which the improved data program begins, the Secretary
shall transmit a report to Congress on the program, to-
gether with any recommendations the Secretary finds ap-
propriate.
(e) FUNDING.—Of the amounts deducted under sec-
tion 104(a)(1)(B) of title 23, United States Code, for each
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of fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003 $5,000,000 per fiscal
year shall be available only to carry out this section.
(f) ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR INFORMATION SYS-
TEMS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the amounts made avail-
able for each of fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003
under section 4003(i) of the Transportation Equity
Act for the 21st Century (112 Stat. 395–398), as
added by section 103(b)(1) of this Act, $5,000,000
per fiscal year shall be available only to carry out
section 31106 of title 49, United States Code.
(2) AMOUNTS AS ADDITIONAL.—The amounts
made available by paragraph (1) shall be in addition
to amounts made available under section 31107 of
title 49, United States Code.
SEC. 226. DRUG TEST RESULTS STUDY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a
study of the feasibility and merits of—
(1) requiring medical review officers or employ-
ers to report all verified positive controlled sub-
stances test results on any driver subject to con-
trolled substances testing under part 382 of title 49,
Code of Federal Regulations, including the identity
of each person tested and each controlled substance
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found, to the State that issued the driver’s commer-
cial driver’s license; and
(2) requiring all prospective employers, before
hiring any driver, to query the State that issued the
driver’s commercial driver’s license on whether the
State has on record any verified positive controlled
substances test on such driver.
(b) STUDY FACTORS.—In carrying out the study
under this section, the Secretary shall assess—
(1) methods for safeguarding the confidentiality
of verified positive controlled substances test results;
(2) the costs, benefits, and safety impacts of re-
quiring States to maintain records of verified posi-
tive controlled substances test results; and
(3) whether a process should be established to
allow drivers—
(A) to correct errors in their records; and
(B) to expunge information from their
records after a reasonable period of time.
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit
to Congress a report on the study carried out under this
section, together with such recommendations as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate.
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SEC. 227. APPROVAL OF AGREEMENTS.
(a) REVIEW.—Section 13703(c) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through
(4) as subparagraphs (A) through (D), respectively;
(2) by striking ‘‘The Board’’ and inserting the
following:
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board’’;
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(2) PERIODIC REVIEW OF APPROVALS.—Sub-
ject to this section, in the 5-year period beginning on
the date of the enactment of this paragraph and in
each 5-year period thereafter, the Board shall ini-
tiate a proceeding to review any agreement approved
pursuant to this section. Any such agreement shall
be continued unless the Board determines other-
wise.’’; and
(4) by moving the remainder of the text of
paragraph (1) (as designated by paragraph (2) of
this 
subsection), 
including 
subparagraphs 
(A)
through (D) (as designated by paragraph (1) of this
subsection), 2 ems to the right.
(b) LIMITATION.—Section 13703(d) of such title is
amended to read as follows:
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‘‘(d) LIMITATION.—The Board shall not take any ac-
tion that would permit the establishment of nationwide
collective ratemaking authority.’’.
(c) EXISTING AGREEMENTS.—Section 13703(e) of
such title is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘Agreements’’ and inserting the
following:
‘‘(1) AGREEMENTS EXISTING AS OF DECEMBER
31, 1995.—Agreements’’;
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(2) CASES PENDING AS OF DATE OF ENACT-
MENT.—Nothing in section 227 (other than sub-
section (b)) of the Motor Carrier Safety Improve-
ment Act of 1999, including the amendments made
by such section, shall be construed to affect any case
brought under this section that is pending before the
Board as of the date of the enactment of this para-
graph.’’; and
(3) by aligning the left margin of paragraph (1)
(as designated by paragraph (1) of this subsection)
with paragraph (2) (as added by paragraph (2) of
this subsection).
SEC. 228. DOT AUTHORITY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The statutory authority of the In-
spector General of the Department of Transportation in-
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cludes authority to conduct, pursuant to Federal criminal
statutes, investigations of allegations that a person or en-
tity has engaged in fraudulent or other criminal activity
relating to the programs and operations of the Depart-
ment or its operating administrations.
(b) REGULATED ENTITIES.—The authority to con-
duct investigations referred to in subsection (a) extends
to any person or entity subject to the laws and regulations
of the Department or its operating administrations,
whether or not they are recipients of funds from the De-
partment or its operating administrations.
Passed the House of Representatives November 18,
1999.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.