H. R. 2400—322
into cooperative agreements and contracts to foster alliances
and support efforts to stimulate advances in transportation
technology, including—
‘‘(A) the testing and evaluation of products of the
strategic highway research program;
‘‘(B) the further development and implementation of
technology in areas such as the Superpave system and
the use of lithium salts and other alternatives to prevent
and mitigate alkali silica reactivity;
‘‘(C) the provision of support for long-term pavement
performance 
product 
implementation 
and 
technology
access; and
‘‘(D) other activities to achieve the goals established
under paragraph (3).
‘‘(8) REPORTS.—Not later than 18 months after the date
of enactment of this section, and biennially thereafter, 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 Representatives a
report on the progress and results of activities carried out
under this section.
‘‘(9) ALLOCATION.—To the extent appropriate to achieve
the goals established under paragraph (3), the Secretary may
further allocate funds made available to carry out this section
to States for their use.
‘‘(b) 
INNOVATIVE
BRIDGE
RESEARCH
AND
CONSTRUCTION
PROGRAM.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and carry
out a program to demonstrate the application of innovative
material technology in the construction of bridges and other
structures.
‘‘(2) GOALS.—The goals of the program shall include—
‘‘(A) the development of new, cost-effective innovative
material highway bridge applications;
‘‘(B) the reduction of maintenance costs and life-cycle
costs of bridges, including the costs of new construction,
replacement, or rehabilitation of deficient bridges;
‘‘(C) the development of construction techniques to
increase safety and reduce construction time and traffic
congestion;
‘‘(D) the development of engineering design criteria
for innovative products and materials for use in highway
bridges and structures;
‘‘(E) the development of cost-effective and innovative
techniques to separate vehicle and pedestrian traffic from
railroad traffic;
‘‘(F) the development of highway bridges and structures
that will withstand natural disasters, including alternative
processes for the seismic retrofit of bridges; and
‘‘(G) the development of new nondestructive bridge
evaluation technologies and techniques.
‘‘(3) GRANTS, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, AND CONTRACTS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Under the program, the Secretary
shall make grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements
and contracts with—
H. R. 2400—323
‘‘(i) States, other Federal agencies, universities and
colleges, private sector entities, and nonprofit organiza-
tions to pay the Federal share of the cost of research,
development, and technology transfer concerning
innovative materials; and
‘‘(ii) States to pay the Federal share of the cost
of 
repair, 
rehabilitation, 
replacement, 
and 
new
construction of bridges or structures that demonstrate
the application of innovative materials.
‘‘(B) APPLICATIONS.—To receive a grant under this sub-
section, an entity described in subparagraph (A) shall sub-
mit an application to the Secretary. The application shall
be in such form and contain such information as the Sec-
retary may require. The Secretary shall select and approve
the applications based on whether the project that is the
subject of the grant meets the goals of the program
described in paragraph (2).
‘‘(4) TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION TRANSFER.—The Sec-
retary shall take such action as is necessary to ensure that
the information and technology resulting from research con-
ducted under paragraph (3) is made available to State and
local transportation departments and other interested parties
as specified by the Secretary.
‘‘(5) FEDERAL
SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost of
a project under this section shall be determined by the Sec-
retary.’’.
SEC. 5104. TRAINING AND EDUCATION.
Chapter 5 of title 23, United States Code (as added by section
5101 of this title), is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘§ 504. Training and education
‘‘(a) NATIONAL HIGHWAY INSTITUTE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall operate in the Fed-
eral Highway Administration a National Highway Institute
(in this subsection referred to as the ‘Institute’). The Secretary
shall administer, through the Institute, the authority vested
in the Secretary by this title or by any other law for the
development and conduct of education and training programs
relating to highways.
‘‘(2) DUTIES OF THE INSTITUTE.—In cooperation with State
transportation departments, United States industry, and any
national or international entity, the Institute shall develop
and administer education and training programs of instruction
for—
‘‘(A) Federal Highway Administration, State, and local
transportation agency employees;
‘‘(B) regional, State, and metropolitan planning
organizations;
‘‘(C) State and local police, public safety, and motor
vehicle employees; and
‘‘(D) United States citizens and foreign nationals
engaged or to be engaged in surface transportation work
of interest to the United States.
H. R. 2400—324
‘‘(3) COURSES.—The Institute may develop and administer
courses in modern developments, techniques, methods, regula-
tions, management, and procedures relating to surface transpor-
tation, environmental mitigation and compliance, acquisition
of rights-of-way, relocation assistance, engineering, safety,
construction, maintenance and operations, contract administra-
tion, motor carrier safety activities, inspection, and highway
finance.
‘‘(4) SET-ASIDE; FEDERAL SHARE.—Not to exceed 1⁄2 of 1
percent of the funds apportioned to a State under section
104(b)(3) for the surface transportation program shall be avail-
able for expenditure by the State transportation department
for the payment of not to exceed 80 percent of the cost of
tuition and direct educational expenses (excluding salaries) in
connection with the education and training of employees of
State and local transportation agencies in accordance with this
subsection.
‘‘(5) FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), education and training of employees of Federal, State,
and local transportation (including highway) agencies
authorized under this subsection may be provided—
‘‘(i) by the Secretary at no cost to the States and
local governments if the Secretary determines that
provision at no cost is in the public interest; or
‘‘(ii) by the State through grants, cooperative agree-
ments, and contracts with public and private agencies,
institutions, individuals, and the Institute.
‘‘(B) PAYMENT OF FULL COST BY PRIVATE PERSONS.—
Private agencies, international or foreign entities, and
individuals shall pay the full cost of any education and
training received by them unless the Secretary determines
that a lower cost is of critical importance to the public
interest.
‘‘(6) TRAINING FELLOWSHIPS; COOPERATION.—The Institute
may—
‘‘(A) engage in training activities authorized under this
subsection, including the granting of training fellowships;
and
‘‘(B) carry out its authority independently or in coopera-
tion with any other branch of the Federal Government
or any State agency, authority, association, institution, for-
profit or nonprofit corporation, other national or inter-
national entity, or other person.
‘‘(7) COLLECTION OF FEES.—
‘‘(A) GENERAL
RULE.—In accordance with this sub-
section, the Institute may assess and collect fees solely
to defray the costs of the Institute in developing or admin-
istering education and training programs under this sub-
section.
‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—Fees may be assessed and collected
under this subsection only in a manner that may reason-
ably be expected to result in the collection of fees during
any fiscal year in an aggregate amount that does not exceed
the aggregate amount of the costs referred to in subpara-
graph (A) for the fiscal year.
H. R. 2400—325
‘‘(C) PERSONS SUBJECT TO FEES.—Fees may be assessed
and collected under this subsection only with respect to—
‘‘(i) persons and entities for whom education or
training programs are developed or administered under
this subsection; and
‘‘(ii) persons and entities to whom education or
training is provided under this subsection.
‘‘(D) AMOUNT OF FEES.—The fees assessed and collected
under this subsection shall be established in a manner
that ensures that the liability of any person or entity
for a fee is reasonably based on the proportion of the
costs referred to in subparagraph (A) that relate to the
person or entity.
‘‘(E) USE.—All fees collected under this subsection shall
be used to defray costs associated with the development
or administration of education and training programs
authorized under this subsection.
‘‘(8) RELATION TO FEES.—The funds made available to carry
out this subsection may be combined with or held separate
from the fees collected under paragraph (7).
‘‘(b) LOCAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary shall carry out a local
technical assistance program that will provide access to surface
transportation technology to—
‘‘(A) highway and transportation agencies in urbanized
areas with populations of between 50,000 and 1,000,000
individuals;
‘‘(B) highway and transportation agencies in rural
areas; and
‘‘(C) contractors that do work for the agencies.
‘‘(2) GRANTS, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, AND CONTRACTS.—
The Secretary may make grants and enter into cooperative
agreements and contracts to provide education and training,
technical assistance, and related support services to—
‘‘(A) assist rural, local transportation agencies and
tribal governments, and the consultants and construction
personnel working for the agencies and governments, to—
‘‘(i) develop and expand their expertise in road
and transportation areas (including pavement, bridge,
concrete structures, safety management systems, and
traffic safety countermeasures);
‘‘(ii) improve roads and bridges;
‘‘(iii) enhance—
‘‘(I) programs for the movement of passengers
and freight; and
‘‘(II) intergovernmental transportation plan-
ning and project selection; and
‘‘(iv) deal effectively with special transportation-
related problems by preparing and providing training
packages, manuals, guidelines, and technical resource
materials;
‘‘(B) develop technical assistance for tourism and rec-
reational travel;
‘‘(C) identify, package, and deliver transportation tech-
nology and traffic safety information to local jurisdictions
to assist urban transportation agencies in developing and