[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2886 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2886

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish an Automated and 
     Connected Vehicle Research Initiative, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2015

 Mr. Lipinski introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the 
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish an Automated and 
     Connected Vehicle Research Initiative, 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 ``Future Transportation Research and 
Innovation for Prosperity Act'' or the ``Future TRIP Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTOMATED AND CONNECTED VEHICLE RESEARCH INITIATIVE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall establish an 
Automated and Connected Vehicle Research Initiative to lay the 
foundation for the broad scale adoption of automated vehicle 
technology.
    (b) Consultation.--In carrying out the Initiative established under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with--
            (1) the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration;
            (2) the Federal Highway Administration;
            (3) the Federal Transit Administration;
            (4) the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration;
            (5) the Federal Railroad Administration;
            (6) the Department of Energy;
            (7) the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
            (8) the National Science Foundation;
            (9) the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the 
        White House; and
            (10) other relevant agencies.
    (c) Responsibilities.--In carrying out the Initiative under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
            (1) conduct collaborative research with private industry 
        and industry associations, other Federal agencies, State and 
        local agencies, university research centers, a national 
        transportation center selected under Section 5505(c)(2) of 
        title 49, United States Code, and national labs; and
            (2) establish automated and connected vehicle technology 
        corridors and related pilot programs.
    (d) Research Agenda.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
interested parties, shall establish a research agenda for the research 
conducted under subsection (c)(1) and programs under subsection (c)(2) 
that, at a minimum, include--
            (1) quantifying the benefits of advanced safety and vehicle 
        connectivity technologies, including vehicle-to-vehicle 
        communication technologies and vehicle-to-infrastructure 
        communication technologies, advanced driver assistance systems, 
        shared-use services, and other connected and automated vehicle 
        technologies and services, on--
                    (A) transportation system performance categories 
                including highway fatalities and injuries separately 
                for motorized and for nonmotorized modes;
                    (B) traffic congestion;
                    (C) freight movement;
                    (D) fuel economy and harmful emissions; and
                    (E) vehicle miles traveled; and
            (2) providing deployment guidance, including for--
                    (A) the reduction of pedestrian, bicycle, and 
                motorcycle fatalities and injuries;
                    (B) considerations for existing Federal, State, and 
                local regulations and legal frameworks;
                    (C) information technology systems and management, 
                including the sharing of public agency traffic 
                information, work zone information, and other 
                transportation data to stimulate innovative new 
                services and products for enhancing safety, fuel 
                efficiency, and quality of life;
                    (D) funding mechanisms and business models;
                    (E) mobility for the elderly, disabled, and 
                economically disadvantaged;
                    (F) transit systems;
                    (G) cyber-physical security;
                    (H) human factors; and
                    (I) intercity and interjurisdictional applications 
                and challenges.
    (e) Coordination of Research.--In conducting the research under 
subsection (c)(1), the Secretary shall coordinate with representatives 
from the Federal Communications Commission, the Alliance of Automobile 
Manufacturers, and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America 
regarding viable spectrum-sharing technologies that could enable the 
safe operation of unlicensed devices in the 5850-5925 MHz band (in this 
section, referred to as the 5.9 GHz band) without interfering with 
safety-of-life vehicle-to-vehicle communication technologies and 
vehicle-to-infrastructure communication technologies.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall issue a public report identifying any potential 
signal interference risks that may exist between unlicensed Wi-Fi 
devices operating in the 5.9 GHz band.
    (g) Letter.--Not later than 1 year after the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall send a letter to the Federal Communications 
Commission, the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the 
Senate, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
of Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives that contains an explanation of the risks and 
a determination on whether unlicensed Wi-Fi devices can safely operate 
in the 5.9 GHz band without creating signal interfere that could 
jeopardize or delay the deployment of an effective and reliable 
vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure safety-of-life 
communications system.
    (h) Intelligent Transportation Systems Science & Technology 
Center.--The Secretary shall establish a competitively selected 
Intelligent Transportation Systems Science & Technology Center that--
            (1) draws on the expertise of researchers from multiple 
        domains to develop intelligent systems capable of perceiving 
        and physically interacting with their environment;
            (2) develops methods for extending operator efficiency and 
        safety through machine interaction;
            (3) trains the next generation of the transportation 
        workforce in the cross-disciplinary fields of robotics, machine 
        learning, cybersecurity, and engineering;
            (4) expands standards, codes, and processes to leverage a 
        new generation of intelligent machines; and
            (5) engages in real-world technology deployments and 
        evaluations.
    (i) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Environment and Public 
Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and 
make available on the Internet website of the Department of 
Transportation, a report that--
            (1) assesses the organizational readiness of the Department 
        to address connected and automated vehicle technology 
        challenges;
            (2) assesses the status of connected and automated 
        transportation technology, applications, and policies developed 
        by public and private entities in the United States and 
        internationally;
            (3) defines recommended implementation paths for connected 
        and automated transportation technology, applications, and 
        policies that are based on the analysis described in paragraph 
        (1), and the results of paragraphs (1) through (3); and
            (4) includes guidance on the relationship of the proposed 
        deployment of connected and automated vehicles to the national 
        architecture and standards and protocols required under section 
        517 of title 23, United States Code, that--
                    (A) is based on cyber-physical security and 
                privacy; and
                    (B) examines the interaction with other cyber-
                physical systems.
    (j) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary may 
enter into agreements with, and seek input from, the National Research 
Council, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the 
National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy, and shall 
seek input from ITS America, the American Association of State Highway 
and Transportation Officials, and industry stakeholders, including 
nonprofit advocacy groups.
    (k) Report Review.--The Secretary may enter into agreements with 
the National Research Council for the review of the report described in 
subsection (i).
    (l) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology.--The term 
        ``vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology'' means a 
        technology that allows wireless communication of data between 
        vehicles, including dedicated short range communication.
            (2) Vehicle-to-infrastructure communication technology.--
        The term ``vehicle-to-infrastructure communication technology'' 
        means a technology that allows wireless communication of data 
        between vehicles and infrastructure, including dedicated short 
        range communication.
            (3) Advanced driver assistance system.--The term ``advanced 
        driver assistance system'' means a system developed to 
        automate, adapt, or enhance vehicle systems for safer driving 
        and improved functionality.
            (4) Shared-use service.--The term ``shared-use service'' 
        means a service that shares transportation resources between 
        users.

SEC. 3. UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTERS PROGRAM.

    Section 5505 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2)(B) by inserting ``multimodal'' 
        before ``transportation knowledge''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(2) Restriction.--
                    ``(A) Limitation.--A nonprofit institution of 
                higher education or the lead institution of a 
                consortium of nonprofit institutions of higher 
                education, as applicable, may only submit one grant 
                application per fiscal year for each of the 
                transportation centers described under paragraphs (2), 
                (3), and (4) of subsection (c).
                    ``(B) Exception for consortium members that are not 
                lead institutions.--Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to 
                a nonprofit institution of higher education that is a 
                member of a consortium of nonprofit institutions of 
                higher education but not the lead institution of such 
                consortium.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (4)(B)(iii) by inserting 
                ``multimodal'' before ``transportation problems''; and
            (3) in subsection (c)(4) by striking subparagraph (B) and 
        redesignating accordingly.

SEC. 4. OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY WORKING GROUP.

    The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall, 
to improve the scientific pursuit and research procedures of the 
Department of Transportation--
            (1) convene an interagency working group to assist the 
        Department of Transportation in--
                    (A) implementing appropriate protocols for the 
                management of research programs;
                    (B) developing and implementing effective 
                technology transfer methods;
                    (C) effectively operating intermural research 
                programs, including university transportation centers;
                    (D) implementing a strategic research and 
                development plan and national research framework; and
                    (E) identifying appropriate research priorities;
            (2) develop procedures to allow the Secretary of 
        Transportation to solicit the support of and identify 
        opportunities to collaborate with other Federal research 
        agencies, national laboratories, and personnel to assist in the 
        effective and efficient pursuit and resolution of research 
        challenges identified by the Secretary; and
            (3) submit to Congress, not later than 15 months after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, a report about the 
        effectiveness, adherence to standards and protocols, 
        interagency collaboration, and areas of improvement of 
        Department of Transportation and Governmentwide research on 
        transportation-oriented needs.

SEC. 5. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Accelerated Innovation Deployment.--Section 503(c)(2)(B) of 
title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:
                            ``(i) establish and carry out demonstration 
                        programs and workshops to promote innovations 
                        and convene strategic groups of individuals 
                        influential in innovation adoption 
                        processes;'';
            (2) in clause (ii) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (3) in clause (iii) by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iv) provide assistance in establishing 
                        regional, State, and local technology needs, 
                        such as through frameworks developed in the 
                        National Cooperative Highway Research Program 
                        Report 750.''.
    (b) Reauthorization of Technology and Innovation Deployment 
Program.--Section 503(c)(3)(C) of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ``2013 through 2014'' and inserting ``2016 through 
2021''.

SEC. 6. STATE PLANNING AND RESEARCH ADDITIONAL PURPOSES.

    Section 505(a) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Travel for research and technology purposes, 
        including workshops, conferences, and demonstrations.
            ``(9) Activities and training related to developing a 
        culture of innovation and improving organizational readiness 
        for adoption of innovative technologies, such as award programs 
        recognizing innovative individuals.''.

SEC. 7. BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION STATISTICS.

    (a) Travel Data Initiative.--The Director of the Bureau of 
Transportation Statistics shall establish a Travel Data Initiative to 
expand the existing collection of passenger travel data by addressing 
the most critical gaps in our knowledge and understanding of passenger 
travel.
    (b) Advice.--To identify critical gaps in knowledge and data 
collection approaches, the Director shall seek advice from--
            (1) Department of Transportation advisory committees;
            (2) the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness 
        of the Department of Commerce; and
            (3) the Transportation Research Board of the National 
        Academies.
    (c) Pilot Program.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Director, in coordination with the 
        Office of Freight Management and Operations of the Federal 
        Highway Administration, shall establish a pilot program to 
        evaluate freight fluidity measures.
            (2) Goals.--In carrying out the program, the Director 
        shall--
                    (A) collect, analyze, and present freight data in a 
                timely and comprehensive manner;
                    (B) establish reporting methods that work between 
                States and internationally; and
                    (C) present data with the greatest level of 
                geographic detail that do not compromise 
                confidentiality or statistical reliability.
            (3) Stakeholder engagement.--The Director, in coordination 
        with the Department of Commerce and the freight industry, shall 
        define requirements for the pilot program.
    (d) Additional Authority.--Section 6302 of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Decisionmaking Authority.--To ensure ongoing objectivity of 
the products of the Director, the Director has sole decisionmaking 
authority in the collection, analysis, and publication of data and 
statistics for the Bureau to fulfill the purposes of this section, in 
accordance with Statistical Policy Directive #1 and Statistical Policy 
Directive #4 of the Office of Management and Budget.
    ``(e) Budget Allocation Authority.--The Director shall have final 
authority for the disposition and allocation of the authorized budget 
of the Bureau to enable fulfillment of the purposes of this section, 
including all hiring, grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts 
awarded by the Bureau, including the disposition and allocation of 
funds paid to the Bureau for cost-reimbursable projects.
    ``(f) Transportation Performance Management Data Program.--To 
support States and metropolitan planning organizations in carrying out 
the performance management requirements of section 150 of title 23, the 
Director shall coordinate with other modal administrations to create 
and maintain data sets and data analysis tools for all performance 
measures, including--
            ``(1) transportation system resilience;
            ``(2) multimodal freight connectivity; and
            ``(3) improved data collection and analysis tools to 
        accommodate performance measures, targets, and related data.
    ``(g) Information Technology Decisions.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the provisions of section 11319 of title 40 shall not 
apply to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.''.

SEC. 8. NATIONAL COOPERATIVE FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 5 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 508 the following:

``SEC. 509. NATIONAL COOPERATIVE FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH 
              PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish and support a 
national cooperative freight transportation research program.
    ``(b) Agreement.--The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with 
the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council of 
the National Academies to support and carry out administrative and 
management activities relating to the governance of the national 
cooperative freight transportation research program.
    ``(c) Advisory Committee.--The National Academies shall select an 
advisory committee consisting of a representative cross-section of 
freight stakeholders, including the Department of Transportation, other 
Federal agencies, State transportation departments, local governments, 
nonprofit entities, academia, the private sector, nonprofit entities, 
trade associations, transportation coalitions, and other interested 
parties.
    ``(d) Governance.--The national cooperative freight transportation 
research program established under this section shall include the 
following administrative and management elements:
            ``(1) National research agenda.--The advisory committee, in 
        consultation with interested parties, shall recommend a 
        national research agenda for the program. The agenda shall--
                    ``(A) include an emphasis on the safe and efficient 
                transportation and handling of hazardous materials by 
                all modes of transportation;
                    ``(B) include a multiyear strategic plan, 
                recognizing freight research themes and needs 
                identified by the National Freight Advisory Committee 
                established to implement the freight transportation 
                requirements of the MAP-21 and needs identified by the 
                Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness of 
                the Department of Commerce;
                    ``(C) be coordinated with the activities, plans, 
                and reports required by sections 5304 and 5305 of title 
                49, United States Code; and
                    ``(D) be coordinated with the activities, plans, 
                and reports required by section 508 of title 23, United 
                States Code.
            ``(2) Involvement.--Interested parties may--
                    ``(A) submit research proposals to the advisory 
                committee;
                    ``(B) participate in merit reviews of research 
                proposals and peer reviews of research products; and
                    ``(C) receive research results.
            ``(3) Open competition and peer review of research 
        proposals.--The National Academies may award research contracts 
        and grants under the program through open competition and merit 
        review conducted on a regular basis.
            ``(4) Research coordination.--The National Academies shall 
        ensure that research contracts and grants awarded under this 
        section are not duplicative with research conducted under other 
        cooperative transportation research programs governed by the 
        National Academies, nor with research conducted by the 
        Department of Transportation or any other Federal, State, or 
        local agency.
            ``(5) Evaluation of research.--
                    ``(A) Peer review.--Research contracts and grants 
                under the program may allow peer review of the research 
                results.
                    ``(B) Programmatic evaluations.--The National 
                Academies may conduct periodic programmatic evaluations 
                on a regular basis of research contracts and grants.
            ``(6) Dissemination of research findings.--The National 
        Academies shall disseminate research findings to researchers, 
        practitioners, and decisionmakers, through conferences and 
        seminars, field demonstrations, workshops, training programs, 
        presentations, testimony to government officials, the Internet, 
        publications for the general public, collaboration with the 
        National Transportation Library, and other appropriate means.
    ``(e) Contents.--The national research agenda required under 
subsection (d)(1) shall at a minimum include research in the following 
areas:
            ``(1) Techniques for measuring, estimating, and quantifying 
        public benefits derived from freight transportation projects.
            ``(2) Alternative approaches to calculating the 
        contribution of truck and rail traffic to congestion on 
        specific highway segments.
            ``(3) The feasibility of consolidating origins and 
        destinations for freight movement.
            ``(4) Methods for incorporating estimates of domestic and 
        international trade entering via all mode points of entry into 
        landside transportation planning.
            ``(5) The use of technology applications, including to 
        intelligent transportation systems applications, to increase 
        capacity of highway lanes dedicated to truck-only traffic.
            ``(6) Development of physical and policy alternatives for 
        separating car and truck traffic.
            ``(7) Means of synchronizing infrastructure improvement 
        projects with freight transportation demand projections.
            ``(8) The effect of changing patterns of freight movement 
        on transportation planning decisions, including accessible 
        private and public commercial vehicle parking and truck-rail 
        crossings.
            ``(9) Methods for collecting and sharing robust and timely 
        freight data by all modes to inform transportation planning and 
        operations at the local, regional and State levels.
            ``(10) Methods to gain local acceptance of freight 
        development, expansion and growth along existing corridors, 
        terminals and ports.
            ``(11) Workforce development programs to attract more 
        students and the next generation of workers to transportation 
        planning, engineering and operation carriers to improve freight 
        mobility.
            ``(12) Collaboration across multiple jurisdictions and 
        between public and private sector funding partners to develop, 
        maintain and invest in transportation improvements.
            ``(13) Impact of the development and transport of new 
        sources of energy on the freight network capacity and 
        performance, as well as the potential for synergistic 
        development of new transportation infrastructure with 
        distribution of energy.
            ``(14) Funding and financing alternatives for multimodal 
        freight infrastructure development, as well as the cost of 
        inaction on infrastructure needs to system users.
            ``(15) Other research areas to identify and address 
        emerging and future research needs related to freight 
        transportation by all modes.
    ``(f) Funding.--
            ``(1) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of an 
        activity carried out under this section shall be up to 100 
        percent.
            ``(2) Use of non-federal funds.--In addition to using funds 
        authorized for this section, the National Academies may seek 
        and accept additional funding sources from public and private 
        entities capable of accepting funding from the Department of 
        Transportation, States, local governments, nonprofit 
        foundations, and the private sector.
            ``(3) Period of availability.--Amounts made available to 
        carry out this section shall remain available until 
        expended.''; and
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The analysis for such chapter is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 508 the following new 
item:

``509. National cooperative freight transportation research program.''.

SEC. 9. COMMERCIAL REMOTE SENSING PRODUCTS AND SPATIAL INFORMATION 
              TECHNOLOGIES.

    Section 5506 of SAFETEA-LU (23 U.S.C. 502 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by inserting ``multimodal'' after ``national''; 
                and
                    (B) by striking ``construction'' and inserting 
                ``safety'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(1)--
                    (A) by inserting ``multimodal'' after ``in 
                national''; and
                    (B) by striking ``construction'' and inserting 
                ``safety'';
            (3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Cooperation.--The Secretary shall carry out this section in 
cooperation with--
            ``(1) the activities at the test ranges established under 
        section 332 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (49 
        U.S.C. 40101 note); and
            ``(2) the Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Systems 
        of the Federal Aviation Administration.''; and
            (4) in subsection (d) by striking ``2006 through 2009'' and 
        inserting ``2016 through 2021''.

SEC. 10. TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING.

    Section 508(a) of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``the Transportation 
        Research and Innovative Technology Act of 2012'' and inserting 
        ``the Future TRIP Act''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (C) by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) provides an outcome-based assessment of 
                previous strategic plans;
                    ``(E) includes a description of current, planned, 
                and strategic future collaborations within the 
                Department, with other Federal agencies, and with 
                international entities; and
                    ``(F) includes an evaluation of the value of 
                research, development, and technology to the nation and 
                the Department's strategic goals.''.

SEC. 11. CENTERS FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EXCELLENCE.

    Section 504(h) of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``The Secretary'' and 
        inserting ``Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
        of the Future TRIP Act, the Secretary''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2) by striking ``and project finance'' 
        and inserting ``project finance, and intelligent transportation 
        systems''.
                                 <all>