49 U.S.C. § 31108 — Motor carrier research and technology program

(a) Research, Technology, and Technology Transfer Activities. (1) The Secretary of Transportation must establish and carry out a motor carrier and motor coach research and technology program. (2) The program must include a multiyear plan focused on innovative research that is not redundant with other Department of Transportation research that is ongoing or planned, as appropriate. (3) The Secretary may carry out research, development, technology, and technology-transfer activities concerning the causes of commercial motor vehicle accidents, injuries, and deaths; ways to reduce their number and severity; improving commercial motor vehicle safety and efficiency through technological innovation and improvement; improving technology used by enforcement officers in roadside inspections and compliance reviews to increase efficiency and information transfers; and increasing the safety and security of hazardous-materials transportation. (4) The Secretary may test, develop, or help test or develop any material, invention, patented article, or process related to the program. (5) The Secretary may use funds under this section to train or educate commercial motor vehicle safety personnel, including in accident reconstruction and detecting controlled substances, other contraband, and stolen cargo or vehicles. (6) The Secretary may carry out this section independently, with other Federal departments, agencies, instrumentalities, and Federal laboratories, or through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements with any Federal laboratory, State agency, authority, association, institution, for-profit or nonprofit corporation, organization, foreign country, or person. (7) The Secretary shall use funds under this section to develop, administer, communicate, and promote the use of products of research, technology, and technology-transfer programs under this section.

(b) Collaborative Research and Development. (1) To advance innovative solutions involving commercial motor vehicle and motor carrier safety, security, and efficiency, and to stimulate emerging technology, the Secretary may conduct cost-shared collaborative research and development with non-Federal entities, including State and local governments, foreign governments, colleges and universities, corporations, institutions, partnerships, and sole proprietorships incorporated or established under State law, and with Federal laboratories. (2) The Secretary may enter into cooperative research and development agreements as defined in section 12 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a). (3) The Federal share of activities under such an agreement cannot exceed 50 percent, unless the Secretary approves a higher share because the activity has substantial public interest or benefit. The non-Federal partners’ directly incurred costs, including personnel, travel, and hardware or software development, count toward their share. (4) Research, development, or use of technology under such an agreement, including licensing terms and distribution of royalties, is subject to the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.).