136
(4) facilitating international goods movement 
to, from and within the United States; 
(5) ensuring consistency in data and commu-
nications links for and between all modes; 
(6) financing for each mode of transportation; 
and 
(7) effectively using transportation networks to 
enhance the quality of life, protect natural resources 
and promote sustainable economic growth. 
(g) PARTICIPATION IN COMMISSION ACTIVITIES.—
(1) PARTICIPATION OF FEDERAL AGENCIES..—
The Chairman of the Commission shall request the 
head of each Federal department or agency with an 
interest in or a responsibility for national transpor-
tation policy to appoint a liaison who shall work 
closely with the Committee and its staff. Such de-
partments and agencies shall include, but not be lim-
ited to, the Department of Transportation, and each 
of its modal administrations, Office of Management 
and Budget, Department of Energy, Department of 
Homeland Security, Environmental Protection Agen-
cy, Department of Health and Human Services, De-
partment of Commerce, Department of the Treas-
ury, Department of Defense, Department of Agri-
culture, National Transportation Safety Board, Sur-
137
face Transportation Board, and Army Corps of En-
gineers. 
(2) ADVICE FROM PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGA-
NIZATIONS.—In carrying out its duties, the Commis-
sion shall seek the advice of various groups inter-
ested in national transportation policy including 
State and local governments, public and private or-
ganizations in the fields of transportation and safe-
ty, business, education, environment and labor, and 
the public. 
(h) HEARINGS.—The Commission or, on the author-
ization of the Commission, any Committee of two or more 
members may, for the purpose of carrying out the provi-
sions of this section, hold such hearings at such times and 
places as the Commission or such authorized committee 
may deem advisable. 
(i) COMPENSATION.—Members of Congress or other 
governmental employees shall serve without compensation, 
but shall be reimbursed for travel, per diem in accordance 
of the rules of the House of Representatives and Senate, 
accordingly, or subsistence and other necessary expenses 
incurred in the performance of the duties vested in the 
Commission. 
(j) COMMISSION STAFF.—The Commission is author-
ized to appoint and fix the compensation of a staff director
138
and such additional personnel as may be necessary to en-
able it to carry out its functions. 
(k) CONTRACTS.—The Commission is authorized to 
enter into contracts or agreements for studies and surveys 
with public and private organizations and, if necessary, 
to transfer funds to Federal agencies from sums appro-
priated pursuant to this section to carry out such of its 
duties as the Commission determines can best be carried 
our in the that manner. 
(l) 
AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—(1) 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
section such sums as may be necessary. 
(2) Funds authorized by this subsection shall remain 
available until expended. 
SEC. 210. REAL-TIME SYSTEM MANAGEMENT INFORMATION 
PROGRAM. 
(a) GOALS AND PURPOSES.—
(1) GOALS.—The goals of the real-time system 
management information program are to provide the
nationwide capability to monitor, in real-time, the 
traffic and travel conditions of our nation’s major 
highways and to widely share that information to 
improve the security of the surface transportation 
system, address congestion problems, support im-
139
proved response to weather events, and facilitate na-
tional and regional traveler information. 
(2) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the real-time 
system management information program are to—
(A) establish a nationwide system of basic 
real-time information for managing and oper-
ating our surface transportation system; 
(B) identify longer range real-time high-
way and transit monitoring needs and develop 
plans and strategies for meeting those needs; 
and 
(C) provide the capability and means to 
share that data with state and local govern-
ments, and the traveling public. 
(b) DATA EXCHANGE FORMATS.—Within one year of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish data 
exchange formats to ensure that the data provided by 
highway and transit monitoring systems, including state-
wide incident reporting systems can readily be exchanged 
across jurisdictional boundaries, facilitating nationwide 
availability of information. 
(c) STATEWIDE INCIDENT REPORTING SYSTEM.—
Within 2 years of enactment of this legislation, each State 
shall establish a statewide incident reporting system.
140
(d) REGIONAL INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYS-
TEM ARCHITECTURE.—
(1) As State and local governments develop or 
update their regional ITS architectures, as specified 
in section 940.9 of title 23, Code of Federal Regula-
tions (Regional ITS Architecture), they shall explic-
itly address their real-time highway and transit in-
formation needs and the systems needed to meet 
those needs. This specific incorporation of informa-
tion needs should address coverage, monitoring sys-
tems, data fusion and archiving, and methods of ex-
changing or sharing this information. 
(2) States are encouraged to incorporate the 
data exchange formats developed by the Secretary to 
ensure that the data provided by highway and tran-
sit monitoring systems can readily be exchanged 
across state and local governments, and with the 
traveling public. 
(e) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘state-
wide incident reporting system’’ means a statewide system 
for facilitating the real-time electronic reporting of inci-
dents to a central location for use in monitoring the event, 
providing accurate traveler information, and responding to 
the incident as appropriate.
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SEC. 211. PLANNING CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVE. 
Section 104 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after subsection (i), as added by this 
Act, the following: 
‘‘(j) PLANNING CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a planning capacity building initiative to support 
enhancements in transportation planning, in order 
to—
‘‘(A) strengthen metropolitan and state-
wide transportation planning under chapter 52 
of title 49; 
‘‘(B) enhance tribal capacity to conduct 
joint transportation planning under Chapter 2 
of this title; and 
‘‘(C) participate in the metropolitan and 
statewide transportation planning programs 
under chapter 52 of title 49. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give pri-
ority to planning practices and processes that sup-
port homeland security planning, performance based 
planning, safety planning, operations planning, 
freight planning, and integration of environment and 
planning. 
‘‘(3) USE
OF
FUNDS.—Funds authorized for 
this program may be used for research, program de-