49 U.S.C. § 313 — Nontraditional and Emerging Transportation Technology Council

(a) Establishment. Within 180 days of this section becoming law, the Secretary of Transportation must set up a council — the "Nontraditional and Emerging Transportation Technology Council" — to coordinate emerging-technology issues across all modes of transportation. (b) Membership. (1) The Council is made up of: (A) the Secretary, who serves as an ex officio member; (B) the Deputy Secretary of Transportation; (C) the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy; (D) the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology; (E) the Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs; (F) the General Counsel; (G) the Chief Information Officer; (H) the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration; (I) the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration; (J) the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; (K) the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration; (L) the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration; (M) the Administrator of the Maritime Administration; (N) the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; (O) the Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; and (P) any other Department official the Secretary designates. (2) Chair and vice chair. (A) The Deputy Secretary of Transportation, or a designee, chairs the Council. (B) The Under Secretary for Policy, or a designee, is Vice Chair. (c) Duties. The Council must: (1) identify and resolve jurisdictional and regulatory gaps or inconsistencies affecting nontraditional and emerging transportation technologies, modes, or projects before the Department of Transportation, to reduce obstacles to safely deploying new transportation technology — including on safety oversight, environmental review, and funding and financing issues; (2) coordinate the Department's response to nontraditional and emerging technology projects; (3) engage with stakeholders in these projects; and (4) develop Department-wide processes, solutions, and best practices for identifying and managing them. (d) Best Practices. Within 1 year of this section's enactment, the Council must (1) publish initial guidelines to achieve the purposes in subsection (c)(4); and (2) encourage each modal administration to further test and support emerging technologies the Council hasn't specifically considered. (e) Support. The Office of the Secretary must provide support for the Council. (f) Meetings. The Council must meet at least 4 times a year, whenever the Chair calls a meeting. (g) Lead Modal Administration. For each technology, mode, or project tied to a jurisdictional or regulatory gap found under (c)(1), the Chair must (1) designate a lead modal administration to review it; and (2) arrange for staff to be detailed between modal administrations or offices as needed to share experience and expertise. (h) Transparency. Within 1 year of the Council's creation, and at least once a year after that through December 31, 2026, the Council must post a public report on its activities from the previous calendar year.