I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5949 
To establish a grant program in the Department of Transportation to improve 
the traffic safety of teen drivers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 29, 2010 
Mr. CAPUANO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To establish a grant program in the Department of 
Transportation to improve the traffic safety of teen drivers. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Students Taking Ac-
tion for Road Safety Act of 2010’’ or ‘‘STARS Act of 
2010’’. 
SEC. 2. TEEN DRIVER SAFETY PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Transpor-
tation shall establish and implement a teen traffic safety 
grant program under which the Secretary shall make 
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grants to States to implement a statewide program to im-
prove the traffic safety of teen drivers. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the program is to 
support peer-to-peer education and prevention strategies 
in schools and communities to increase safety belt use and 
reduce speeding, impaired and distracted driving, under-
age drinking, and other destructive decisions among teen 
drivers that lead to injuries and fatalities. 
(c) APPLICATION.—Any State desiring a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such infor-
mation as the Secretary may require. 
(d) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—A State may use funds 
from a grant under this section to implement a statewide 
program to improve traffic safety of teen drivers, including 
activities such as— 
(1) working with student-led groups and advi-
sors from schools to plan and implement teen traffic 
safety programs; 
(2) providing subgrants to schools throughout 
the State to support the establishment and expan-
sion of student groups focused on teen traffic safety; 
(3) providing support, training, and technical 
assistance to establish and expand school and com-
munity safety programs for teen drivers; 
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(4) creating statewide or regional Web sites to 
publicize and circulate information on teen safety 
programs; 
(5) conducting outreach and providing edu-
cational resources for parents; 
(6) establishing State or regional advisory coun-
cils comprised of teen drivers to provide input and 
recommendations to the governor and governor’s 
safety representative on issues related to the safety 
of teen drivers; 
(7) collaborating with law enforcement; 
(8) organizing and hosting State and regional 
conferences for teen drivers; 
(9) establishing partnerships and promoting co-
ordination among community stakeholders, including 
public, not-for-profit, and for-profit entities; and 
(10) funding a position of coordinator for the 
teen safety program in the State or region. 
(e) GRANT AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant avail-
able to a State under this section shall be based on a for-
mula administered by the Secretary. In administering the 
formula, the Secretary shall consider the number of teen 
drivers in each State, except that no State that applies 
for a grant under this section shall receive less than 
$200,000 annually. 
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(f) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Grant funds pro-
vided under this section shall be used to supplement, not 
supplant, Federal and non-Federal funds available for car-
rying out the activities described in this section. 
(g) SUBALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—An agency of a 
State that receives a grant under this section may suballo-
cate grant funds to one or several nonprofit organizations 
to carry out the program under this section. 
(h) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER AND CLEAR-
INGHOUSE.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTER.—From funds 
provided under subsection (c), the Secretary may use 
up to $500,000 to contract with a national, non-
profit organization to provide training and technical 
assistance to State and local officials, student lead-
ers, school advisors, and other entities associated 
with the grant program established in this section. 
(2) USE OF FUNDS.—The center may use funds 
for training, communications, publications, con-
ferences, meetings and other assistance considered 
appropriate to develop and sustain a statewide pro-
gram to improve traffic safety of teen drivers. 
(3) CLEARINGHOUSE.—The center may operate 
a national teen traffic safety clearinghouse to de-
velop information and resources for improving the 
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health and safety of teen drivers, disseminate tech-
niques and strategies used for successful teen safety 
programs, and develop and carry out a public aware-
ness campaign related to the safety of teen drivers. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated from the Highway Trust 
Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) to carry out 
this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 
through 2015. 
SEC. 3. TEEN DRIVER ADVISORY COUNCIL. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
the National Teen Driver Advisory Council which shall be 
comprised of teen drivers and leaders in teen traffic safety. 
(b) STRATEGY AND REPORT.— 
(1) STRATEGY.—The Council, working with 
teen drivers and leaders in teen traffic safety, in-
cluding representatives of appropriate Federal agen-
cies, shall study and develop an education and pre-
vention strategy for reducing injuries and fatalities 
for teen drivers. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a report containing the results of the study 
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