Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 116 Part 2.djvu/691

 PUBLIC LAW 107-231—OCT. 1, 2002 116 STAT. 1473 (2) during reasonable hours, inspect any record (including any design, construction, or maintenance record), process, or facility related to the investigation; (3) inspect and test any building components, materials, and artifacts related to the building failure; and (4) move such records, components, materials, and artifacts as provided by the procedures developed under section 2(c)(1). (b) AVOIDING UNNECESSARY INTERFERENCE AND PRESERVING EVIDENCE. — An inspection, test, or other action taken by a Team under this section shall be conducted in a way that— (1) does not interfere unnecessarily with services provided by the owner or operator of the building components, materials, or artifacts, property, records, process, or facility; and (2) to the maximum extent feasible, preserves evidence related to the building failure, consistent with the ongoing needs of the investigation. (c) COORDINATION.— (1) WITH SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS.— ^A Team shall not impede, and shall coordinate its investigation with, any search and rescue efforts being undertaken at the site of the building failure. (2) WITH OTHER RESEARCH.^A Team shall coordinate its investigation, to the extent practicable, with qualified researchers who are conducting engineering or scientific (including social science) research relating to the building failure. (3) MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING. —The National Institute of Standards and Technology shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with each Federal agency that may conduct or sponsor a related investigation, providing for coordination of investigations. (4) WITH STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES.—^A Team shall cooperate with State and local authorities carrying out any activities related to a Team's investigation. (d) INTERAGENCY PRIORITIES. — (1) IN GENERAL. — Except as provided in paragraph (2) or (3), a Team investigation shall have priority over any other investigation of any other Federal agency. (2) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD. — If the National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation related to an investigation of a Team, the National Transportation Safety Board investigation shall have priority over the Team investigation. Such priority shall not otherwise Eiffect the authority of the Team to continue its investigation under this Act. (3) CRIMINAL ACTS.— If the Attorney General, in consultation with the Director, determines, and notifies the Director, that circumstances reasonably indicate that the building failure being investigated by a Team may have been caused by a criminal act, the Team shall relinquish investigative priority to the appropriate law enforcement agency. The relinquishment of investigative priority by the Team shall not otherwise affect the authority of the Team to continue its investigation under this Act. (4) PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE.—I f a Federal law enforcement agency suspects and notifies the Director that a building failure being investigated by a Team under this Act may have

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