HR 4893 — BLUE Act

(a) Program Required.— (1) In general.— Each State shall have in effect a highway safety program that— (i) is designed to reduce— (I) traffic crashes; and (II) deaths, injuries, and property damage resulting from those crashes; (ii) includes— (I) an approved, current, triennial highway safety plan in accordance with subsection (k); and (II) an approved grant application under subsection (l) for the fiscal year; (iii) demonstrates compliance with the applicable administrative requirements of subsection (b)(1); and (iv) is approved by the Secretary. (2) Uniform guidelines.— Programs required under paragraph (1) shall comply with uniform guidelines, promulgated by the Secretary and expressed in terms of performance criteria, that— (A) include programs— (i) to reduce injuries and deaths resulting from motor vehicles being driven in excess of posted speed limits; (ii) to encourage the proper use of safety belts by occupants of motor vehicles; (iii) to encourage more widespread and proper use of child restraints, with an emphasis on underserved populations; (iv) to reduce injuries and deaths resulting from persons driving motor vehicles while impaired by alcohol or a controlled substance; (v) to prevent crashes and reduce injuries and deaths resulting from crashes involving motor vehicles and motorcycles; (vi) to reduce injuries and deaths resulting from crashes involving school buses; (vii) to reduce crashes resulting from unsafe driving behavior (including aggressive or fatigued driving and distracted driving arising from the use of electronic devices in vehicles); (viii) to improve law enforcement services in motor vehicle crash prevention, traffic supervision, and post-crash procedures; (ix) to increase driver awareness of commercial motor vehicles to prevent crashes and reduce injuries and fatalities; (x) to reduce crashes caused by driver misuse or misunderstanding of new vehicle technology; (xi) to increase vehicle recall awareness; (xii) to provide to the public information relating to the risks of child heatstroke death when left unattended in a motor vehicle after the motor is deactivated by the operator; (xiii) to reduce injuries and deaths resulting from the failure by drivers of motor vehicles to move to another traffic lane or reduce the speed of the vehicle when law enforcement, fire service, emergency medical services, or other emergency or first responder vehicles are stopped or parked on or next to a roadway with emergency lights activated; and (xiv) to prevent crashes, injuries, and deaths caused by unsecured vehicle loads; (B) improve driver performance, including— (i) driver education; (ii) driver testing to determine proficiency to operate motor vehicles; and (iii) driver examinations (physical, mental, and driver licensing); (C) improve pedestrian performance and bicycle safety; (D) include provisions for— (i) an effective record system of crashes (including resulting injuries and deaths); (ii) crash investigations to determine the probable causes of crashes, injuries, and deaths; (iii) vehicle registration, operation, and inspection; and (iv) emergency services; and (E) to the extent determined appropriate by the Secretary, are applicable to federally administered areas where a Federal department or agency controls the highways or supervises traffic operations. (3) Additional considerations.— A State that has legalized medicinal or recreational marijuana shall take into consideration implementing programs in addition to the programs described in paragraph (2)(A)— (A) to educate drivers regarding the risks associated with marijuana-impaired driving; and (B) to reduce injuries and deaths resulting from individuals driving motor vehicles while impaired by marijuana. (b) Administration of State Programs.— (1) Administrative requirements.— The Secretary shall not approve a State highway safety program under this section which does not— (A) provide that the Governor of the State shall be responsible for the admi...

(a) Program Authority.— (1) In general.— Subject to the requirements of this section, the Secretary shall— (A) manage programs to address national priorities for reducing highway deaths and injuries; and (B) allocate funds for the purpose described in subparagraph (A) in accordance with this subsection. (2) Occupant protection.— In each fiscal year, 13 percent of the funds provided under this section shall be allocated among States that adopt and implement effective occupant protection programs to reduce highway deaths and injuries resulting from individuals riding unrestrained or improperly restrained in motor vehicles (as described in subsection (b)). (3) State traffic safety information system improvements.— In each fiscal year, 14.5 percent of the funds provided under this section shall be allocated among States that meet requirements with respect to State traffic safety information system improvements (as described in subsection (c)). (4) Impaired driving countermeasures.— In each fiscal year, 53 percent of the funds provided under this section shall be allocated among States that meet requirements with respect to impaired driving countermeasures (as described in subsection (d)). (5) Distracted driving.— In each fiscal year, 8.5 percent of the funds provided under this section shall be allocated among States that adopt and implement effective laws to reduce distracted driving (as described in subsection (e)). (6) Motorcyclist safety.— In each fiscal year, 1.5 percent of the funds provided under this section shall be allocated among States that implement motorcyclist safety programs (as described in subsection (f)). (7) Nonmotorized safety.— In each fiscal year, 7 percent of the funds provided under this section shall be allocated among States that meet requirements with respect to nonmotorized safety (as described in subsection (g)). (8) Preventing roadside deaths.— In each fiscal year, 1 percent of the funds provided under this section shall be allocated among States that meet requirements with respect to preventing roadside deaths under subsection (h). (9) Driver officer safety education.— In each fiscal year, 1.5 percent of the funds provided under this section shall be allocated among States that meet requirements with respect to driver and officer safety education under subsection (i). (10) Transfers.— Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) through (9), the Secretary shall reallocate, before the last day of any fiscal year, any amounts remaining available to carry out any of the activities described in subsections (b) through (i) to increase the amount made available under section 402, in order to ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that all such amounts are obligated during such fiscal year. (11) Political subdivisions.— A State may provide the funds awarded under this section to a political subdivision of the State or an Indian tribal government. (b) Occupant Protection Grants.— (1) General authority.— Subject to the requirements under this subsection, the Secretary shall award grants to States that adopt and implement effective occupant protection programs to reduce highway deaths and injuries resulting from individuals riding unrestrained or improperly restrained in motor vehicles. (2) Federal share.— The Federal share of the costs of activities funded using amounts from grants awarded under this subsection may not exceed 80 percent for each fiscal year for which a State receives a grant. (3) Eligibility.— (A) High seat belt use rate.— A State with an observed seat belt use rate of 90 percent or higher, based on the most recent data from a survey that conforms with national criteria established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, shall be eligible for a grant in a fiscal year if the State— (i) submits an occupant protection plan during the first fiscal year; (ii) participates in the Click It or Ticket national mobilization; (iii) has an active network of child restraint inspection stations; and ...