Title: State And Federal Electronic Data Records to Improve Vehicle-operator Eligibility Reporting Systems Act of 2019
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
State And Federal Electronic Data Records to Improve Vehicle-operator Eligibility Reporting Systems Act of 2019 or the SAFE DRIVERS Act
This bill authorizes states to reallocate certain funds provided for national priority safety programs and modifies the permitted use of grant funds for state traffic safety information system improvements.
The bill also directs the Department of Transportation to award up to 10 interoperability grants to states and related entities for the improvement of interoperability among state and national traffic data systems.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4531 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4531

To amend title 23, United States Code, to modify the permitted uses of 
 grant funds for certain grants, to allow States to reallocate certain 
  funds provided for national priority safety programs, to direct the 
Secretary of Transportation to award grants to improve interoperability 
 among State and national traffic data systems, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2019

 Mr. Moulton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to modify the permitted uses of 
 grant funds for certain grants, to allow States to reallocate certain 
  funds provided for national priority safety programs, to direct the 
Secretary of Transportation to award grants to improve interoperability 
 among State and national traffic data systems, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``State And Federal Electronic Data 
Records to Improve Vehicle-operator Eligibility Reporting Systems Act 
of 2019'' or the ``SAFE DRIVERS Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL PRIORITY SAFETY PROGRAMS.

    Section 405 of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(8)--
                    (A) by striking ``Notwithstanding'' and inserting 
                ``(A) In general--Notwithstanding''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Reallocation.--Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) 
                through (7), a State may reallocate, in not more than 1 
                fiscal year, not more than 10 percent of funds 
                allocated for programs described in such paragraphs to 
                carry out activities described in subsection 
                (c)(4)(D).''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)(4)--
                    (A) by striking ``used for making'' and inserting 
                ``used for--
                    ``(A) making''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) developing or acquiring programs to identify, 
                collect, and report data to State and local government 
                agencies, and enter data, including crash, citation or 
                adjudication, driver, emergency medical services or 
                injury surveillance system, roadway, and vehicle, into 
                the core highway safety databases of a State;
                    ``(C) purchasing equipment to improve processes by 
                which data is identified, collected, and reported to 
                State and local government agencies;
                    ``(D) linking core highway safety databases of a 
                State with such databases of other States or with other 
                data systems within the State, including systems that 
                contain medical, roadway, and economic data;
                    ``(E) improving the compatibility and 
                interoperability of the core highway safety databases 
                of the State with national data systems and data 
                systems of other States;
                    ``(F) enhancing the ability of a State and the 
                Secretary to observe and analyze local, State, and 
                national trends in crash occurrences, rates, outcomes, 
                and circumstances;
                    ``(G) supporting traffic records-related training 
                and related expenditures for law enforcement, emergency 
                medical, judicial, prosecutorial and traffic records 
                professionals;
                    ``(H) hiring traffic records professionals, 
                including a Fatality Analysis Reporting System liaison 
                for a State; and
                    ``(I) conducting research on State traffic safety 
                information systems, including developing and 
                evaluating programs to improve core highway safety 
                databases of such State and processes by which data is 
                identified, collected, reported to State and local 
                government agencies and entered into such core safety 
                databases.''.

SEC. 3. GRANTS TO DEVELOP DATA SHARING CAPABILITIES AMONG STATE AND 
              NATIONAL TRAFFIC DATA SYSTEMS.

    (a) Establishment.--Beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Transportation shall award not more than 10 
interoperability grants in a fiscal year to eligible entities to 
improve interoperability among State and national traffic data systems.
    (b) Initial Grants.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall award 10 interoperability 
grants under subsection (a).
    (c) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an 
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require.
    (d) Total Grant Amounts.--The total grant amounts awarded by the 
Secretary under subsection (a) may not exceed $50,000,000 in a fiscal 
year.
    (e) Use of Grants.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under 
this section shall use such grant to improve interoperability among 
State and national traffic data systems through--
            (1) data notification and the exchange of driver history 
        and safety information between State drivers license agencies, 
        including information that may impact the eligibility of a 
        driver to obtain or maintain a motor vehicle operator's 
        license; and
            (2) other improvements to the interoperability among State 
        and national traffic data systems as the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    (f) Evaluation of Grant Applications.--In awarding grants under 
this section, the Secretary shall evaluate applications from an 
eligible entity based on the following criteria:
            (1) The experience of the eligible entity in developing, 
        implementing, or improving State traffic data systems.
            (2) The experience of the eligible entity in improving 
        compatibility and interoperability among State and national 
        traffic data systems.
            (3) The potential of the goals and outcomes stated in the 
        application of an eligible entity to promote efficiency among, 
        or to automate notifications between, the chief driver 
        licensing officials of States when the drivers license 
        eligibility of a driver may be impacted by an event in another 
        State.
            (4) The potential for the proposed project of an eligible 
        entity to be scaled or adopted nationally and by other States.
            (5) Any other factor that the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Chief driver licensing official.--The term ``chief 
        driver licensing official'' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 30301 of title 49, United States Code.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a State driver licensing agency;
                    (B) an organization that administers a State 
                traffic data system; or
                    (C) a consortium of entities described in 
                subparagraphs (A) and (B).
            (3) Motor vehicle operator's license.--The term ``motor 
        vehicle operator's license'' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 30301 of title 49, United States Code.
            (4) State drivers license agency.--The term ``State drivers 
        license agency'' means the agency of a State responsible for 
        issuing motor vehicle operator's licenses.
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