[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5949 Introduced in House (IH)]

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Students Taking Action for Road 
Safety Act of 2010'' or ``STARS Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. TEEN DRIVER SAFETY PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Transportation shall establish 
and implement a teen traffic safety grant program under which the 
Secretary shall make grants to States to implement a statewide program 
to improve 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, underage 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 information 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 advisors from 
        schools to plan and implement teen traffic safety programs;
            (2) providing subgrants to schools throughout the State to 
        support the establishment and expansion of student groups 
        focused on teen traffic safety;
            (3) providing support, training, and technical assistance 
        to establish and expand school and community safety programs 
        for teen drivers;
            (4) creating statewide or regional Web sites to publicize 
        and circulate information on teen safety programs;
            (5) conducting outreach and providing educational resources 
        for parents;
            (6) establishing State or regional advisory councils 
        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 coordination 
        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 available to a State under 
this section shall be based on a formula 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.
    (f) Supplement Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided under this 
section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, Federal and non-
Federal funds available for carrying out the activities described in 
this section.
    (g) Suballocation of Funds.--An agency of a State that receives a 
grant under this section may suballocate grant funds to one or several 
nonprofit organizations to carry out the program under this section.
    (h) Technical Assistance Center and Clearinghouse.--
            (1) Establishment of center.--From funds provided under 
        subsection (c), the Secretary may use up to $500,000 to 
        contract with a national, nonprofit organization to provide 
        training and technical assistance to State and local officials, 
        student leaders, 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, conferences, meetings and other 
        assistance considered appropriate to develop and sustain a 
        statewide program to improve traffic safety of teen drivers.
            (3) Clearinghouse.--The center may operate a national teen 
        traffic safety clearinghouse to develop information and 
        resources for improving the health and safety of teen drivers, 
        disseminate techniques and strategies used for successful teen 
        safety programs, and develop and carry out a public awareness 
        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, including representatives of 
        appropriate Federal agencies, shall study and develop an 
        education and prevention 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 Congress a report containing the 
        results of the study conducted by the Council and a description 
        of the strategy developed.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act the following definitions apply:
            (1) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Transportation.
            (2) The term ``teen driver'' means a driver under the age 
        of 21.
            (3) The term ``teen traffic safety program'' includes peer-
        to-peer education and prevention strategies in schools and 
        communities to increase safety belt use and reduce speeding, 
        impaired and distracted driving, underage drinking, and other 
        destructive decisions among teen drivers that lead to injuries 
        and fatalities.
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