Text
H.R. 3594, the Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2021
Summary
This legislation will support research and development to accelerate progress toward a safer and more efficient, equitable, and resilient surface transportation system.
This legislation would:
- Authorize the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) surface transportation research, development, and demonstration programs from fiscal years 2022-2027
- Support existing and new highway research programs, including the Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Program and the Road Weather Centers of Excellence program
- Update the Exploratory Advanced Research program for long-term, high-risk research
- Support research to understand the role that autonomous trucking may play in the future movement of freight
- Authorize multimodal transportation research programs, including providing increased funding for the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and doubling the University Transportation Center (UTC) program
- Enable DOT to better plan for the future of surface transportation research, including by requiring updates to the Department’s research and development strategic plan on a regular five-year cycle, establishing a surface transportation research and development advisory board, and requiring a research agenda for national freight research
Status
Follow the bill's progress here
Endorsements
AASHTO: “One of AASHTO’s core policy principles for surface transportation reauthorization is for the federal program to support and ensure state DOTs’ ability to harness innovation and technology. We are grateful for the strong bipartisan leadership from the House Science Committee to advance transportation research in the next multiyear bill.”
American Concrete Pavement Association: "ACPA supports the inclusion of the proposed Heavy Freight Autonomous Trucking Research Corridor (ATRC) program in the Surface Transportation R&D Bill."
Governors Highway Safety Association
Texas A&M Transportation Institute