Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 113 Part 3.djvu/231

 PUBLIC LAW 106-159—DEC. 9, 1999 113 STAT. 1749 SEC. 2. SECRETARY DEFINED. 49 USC 101 note. In this Act, the term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Transportation. SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 49 USC 113 note. Congress makes the following findings: (1) The current rate, number, and severity of crashes involving motor carriers in the United States are unacceptable. (2) The number of Federal and State commercial motor vehicle and operator inspections is insufficient and civil penalties for violators must be utilized to deter future violations. (3) The Department of Transportation is failing to meet statutorily mandated deadlines for completing rulemaking proceedings on motor carrier safety and, in some significant safety rulemaking proceedings, including driver hours-of-service regulations, extensive periods have elapsed without progress toward resolution or implementation. (4) Too few motor carriers undergo compliance reviews and the Department's data bases and information systems require substantial improvement to enhance the Department's • ability to target inspection and enforcement resources toward the most serious safety problems and to improve States' ability to keep dangerous drivers off the roads. (5) Additional safety inspectors and inspection facilities are needed in international border areas to ensure that commercial motor vehicles, drivers, and carriers comply with United States safety standards. (6) The Department should rigorously avoid conflicts of interest in federally funded research. (7) Meaningful measures to improve safety must be implemented expeditiously to prevent increases in motor carrier crashes, injuries, and fatalities. (8) Proper use of Federal resources is essential to the Department's ability to improve its research, rulemaking, oversight, and enforcement activities related to commercial motor vehicles, operators, and carriers. SEC. 4. PURPOSES. ' 49 USC 113 note. The purposes of this Act are— (1) to improve the administration of the Federal motor carrier safety program and to establish a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in the Department of Transportation; and (2) to reduce the number and severity of large-truck involved crashes through more commercial motor vehicle and operator inspections and motor carrier compliance reviews, stronger enforcement measures against violators, expedited completion of rulemaking proceedings, scientifically sound research, and effective commercial driver's license testing, recordkeeping and sanctions.

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