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technology transfer activities described in subsections (b)
and (c) as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
‘‘§ 508. Surface transportation research technology de-
ployment and strategic planning
‘‘(a) PLANNING.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall—
‘‘(A) establish, in accordance with section
306 of title 5, a strategic planning process
that—
‘‘(i) enhances effective implementation
of this section through the establishment in
accordance with paragraph (2) of the Sur-
face Transportation Research Technology
Advisory Committee; and
‘‘(ii) focuses on surface transportation
research funded through paragraphs (1),
(2), (4), and (5) of section 2001(a) of the
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient
Transportation Equity Act of 2005, taking
into consideration national surface trans-
portation system needs and intermodality
requirements;
‘‘(B) coordinate Federal surface transpor-
tation research, technology development, and de-
ployment activities;
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‘‘(C) at such intervals as are appropriate
and practicable, measure the results of those ac-
tivities and the ways in which the activities af-
fect the performance of the surface transportation
systems of the United States; and
‘‘(D) ensure, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, that planning and reporting activities
carried out under this section are coordinated
with all other surface transportation planning
and reporting requirements.
‘‘(2) 
SURFACE
TRANSPORTATION
RESEARCH
TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90
days after the date of enactment of the Safe, Ac-
countable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation
Equity Act of 2005, the Secretary shall establish
a committee to be known as the ‘Surface Trans-
portation Research Technology Advisory Com-
mittee’ (referred to in this section as the ‘Com-
mittee’).
‘‘(B) MEMBERSHIP.—The Committee shall
be composed of 12 members appointed by the
Secretary—
‘‘(i) each of which shall have expertise
in a particular area relating to Federal
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surface 
transportation 
programs,
including—
‘‘(I) safety;
‘‘(II) operations;
‘‘(III) infrastructure (including
pavements and structures);
‘‘(IV) planning and environment;
‘‘(V) policy; and
‘‘(VI) asset management; and
‘‘(ii) of which—
‘‘(I) 3 members shall be individ-
uals representing the Federal Govern-
ment;
‘‘(II) 3 members—
‘‘(aa) shall be exceptionally
qualified to serve on the Com-
mittee, as determined by the Sec-
retary, based on education, train-
ing, and experience; and
‘‘(bb) shall not be officers or
employees of the United States;
‘‘(III) 3 members—
‘‘(aa) 
shall 
represent 
the
transportation industry (includ-
ing the pavement industry); and
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‘‘(bb) shall not be officers or
employees of the United States;
and
‘‘(IV) 3 members shall represent
State transportation departments from
3 different geographical regions of the
United States.
‘‘(C) MEETINGS.—The advisory subcommit-
tees shall meet on a regular basis, but not less
than twice each year.
‘‘(D) DUTIES.—The Committee shall pro-
vide to the Secretary, on a continuous basis, ad-
vice and guidance relating to—
‘‘(i) the determination of surface trans-
portation research priorities;
‘‘(ii) the improvement of the research
planning and implementation process;
‘‘(iii) the design and selection of re-
search projects;
‘‘(iv) the review of research results;
‘‘(v) the planning and implementation
of technology transfer activities and
‘‘(vi) the formulation of the surface
transportation research and technology de-
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ployment and deployment strategic plan re-
quired under subsection (c).
‘‘(E) 
AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated
from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the
Mass Transit Account) to carry out this para-
graph $187,726 for each fiscal year.
‘‘(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary shall—
‘‘(1) provide for the integrated planning, coordi-
nation, and consultation among the operating admin-
istrations of the Department of Transportation, all
other Federal agencies with responsibility for surface
transportation research and technology development,
State and local governments, institutions of higher
education, industry, and other private and public sec-
tor organizations engaged in surface transportation-
related research and development activities; and
‘‘(2) ensure that the surface transportation re-
search and technology development programs of the
Department do not duplicate other Federal, State, or
private sector research and development programs.
‘‘(c) SURFACE
TRANSPORTATION
RESEARCH
AND
TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT STRATEGIC PLAN.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—After receiving, and based
on, extensive consultation and input from stakeholders
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representing the transportation community and the
Surface Transportation Research Advisory Com-
mittee, the Secretary shall, not later than 1 year after
the date of enactment of the Safe, Accountable, Flexi-
ble, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005,
complete, and shall periodically update thereafter, a
strategic plan for each of the core surface transpor-
tation research areas, including—
‘‘(A) safety;
‘‘(B) operations;
‘‘(C) infrastructure (including pavements
and structures);
‘‘(D) planning and environment;
‘‘(E) policy; and
‘‘(F) asset management.
‘‘(2) COMPONENTS.—The strategic plan shall
specify—
‘‘(A) surface transportation research objec-
tives and priorities;
‘‘(B) specific surface transportation research
projects to be conducted;
‘‘(C) recommended technology transfer ac-
tivities to promote the deployment of advances
resulting from the surface transportation re-
search conducted; and
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‘‘(D) short- and long-term technology devel-
opment and deployment activities.
‘‘(3) REVIEW AND SUBMISSION OF FINDINGS.—
The Secretary shall enter into a contract with the
Transportation Research Board of the National Acad-
emy of Sciences, on behalf of the Research and Tech-
nology Coordinating Committee of the National Re-
search Council, under which—
‘‘(A) the Transportation Research Board
shall—
‘‘(i) review the research and technology
planning and implementation process used
by Federal Highway Administration; and
‘‘(ii) evaluate each of the strategic
plans prepared under this subsection—
‘‘(I) to ensure that sufficient
stakeholder input is being solicited and
considered throughout the preparation
process; and
‘‘(II) to offer recommendations
relevant to research priorities, project
selection, and deployment strategies;
and
‘‘(B) the Secretary shall ensure that the Re-
search and Technology Coordinating Committee,
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in a timely manner, informs the Committee on
Environment and Public Works of the Senate
and the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives of the
findings of the review and evaluation under sub-
paragraph (A).
‘‘(4) RESPONSES
OF
SECRETARY.—Not later
than 60 days after the date of completion of the stra-
tegic plan under this subsection, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Environment and Public
Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Representa-
tives written responses to each of the recommenda-
tions of the Research and Technology Coordinating
Committee under paragraph (3)(A)(ii)(II).
‘‘(d) CONSISTENCY WITH GOVERNMENT PERFORM-
ANCE AND RESULTS ACT OF 1993.—The plans and reports
developed under this section shall be consistent with and
incorporated as part of the plans developed under section
306 of title 5 and sections 1115 and 1116 of title 31.
‘‘§ 509. New strategic highway research program
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The National Research Council
shall establish and carry out, through fiscal year 2009, a
new strategic highway research program.
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‘‘(b) BASIS; PRIORITIES.—With respect to the program
established under subsection (a)—
‘‘(1) the program shall be based on—
‘‘(A) National Research Council Special Re-
port No. 260, entitled ‘Strategic Highway Re-
search’; and
‘‘(B) the results of the detailed planning
work subsequently carried out to scope the re-
search areas through National Cooperative Re-
search Program Project 20–58.
‘‘(2) the scope and research priorities of the pro-
gram shall—
‘‘(A) be refined through stakeholder input in
the form of workshops, symposia, and panels;
and
‘‘(B) include an examination of—
‘‘(i) the roles of highway infrastruc-
ture, drivers, and vehicles in fatalities on
public roads;
‘‘(ii) high-risk areas and activities as-
sociated with the greatest numbers of high-
way fatalities;
‘‘(iii) the roles of various levels of gov-
ernment agencies and non-governmental or-
ganizations in reducing highway fatalities
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(including recommendations for methods of
strengthening highway safety partnerships);
‘‘(iv) measures that may save the
greatest number of lives in the short- and
long-term;
‘‘(v) renewal of aging infrastructure
with minimum impact on users of facilities;
‘‘(vi) driving behavior and likely crash
causal factors to support improved counter-
measures;
‘‘(vii) reduction in congestion due to
nonrecurring congestion;
‘‘(viii) planning and designing of new
road capacity to meet mobility, economic,
environmental, and community needs;
‘‘(3) the program shall consider, at a minimum,
the results of studies relating to the implementation
of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan prepared by the
American Association of State Highway and Trans-
portation Officials; and
‘‘(4) the research results of the program, ex-
pressed in terms of technologies, methodologies, and
other appropriate categorizations, shall be dissemi-
nated to practicing engineers as soon as practicable
for their use.
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‘‘(c) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.—In carrying out the
program under this section, the National Research Council
shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that—
‘‘(1) the best projects and researchers are selected
to conduct research for the program and priorities de-
scribed in subsection (b)—
‘‘(A) on the basis of the merit of each sub-
mitted proposal; and
‘‘(B) through the use of open solicitations
and selection by a panel of appropriate experts;
‘‘(2) the National Research Council acquires a
qualified, permanent core staff with the ability and
expertise to manage a large research program and
multiyear budget;
‘‘(3) the stakeholders are involved in the govern-
ance of the program, at the executive, overall pro-
gram, and technical levels, through the use of expert
panels and committees; and
‘‘(4) there is no duplication of research effort be-
tween the program established under this section and
the surface transportation-environment cooperative
research program established under section 507 or
any other research effort of the Department.
‘‘(d) NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.—The Sec-
retary may make grants to, and enter into cooperative