(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
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;
(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
(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-
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
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