U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 412. Agency accountability

(a) Triennial State Management Reviews.— At least once every 3 years the Secretary shall conduct a review of each State highway safety program. The review shall include a management evaluation of all grant programs funded under this chapter. The Secretary shall provide review-based recommendations on how each State could improve the management and oversight of its grant activities and may provide a management and oversight plan for such grant programs.

(b) Recommendations Before Submission.— In order to provide guidance to State highway safety agencies on matters that should be addressed in the goals and initiatives of the State highway safety program before the program is submitted for review, the Secretary shall provide data-based recommendations to each State at least 90 days before the date on which the program is to be submitted for approval.

(1) conduct a program improvement review of a highway safety program under this chapter of a State that does not make substantial progress over a 3-year period in meeting its priority program goals; and

(2) provide technical assistance and safety program requirements to be incorporated in the State highway safety program for any goal not achieved.

(d) Regional Harmonization.— The Secretary and the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation shall undertake an administrative review of the practices and procedures of the management reviews and program reviews of State highway safety programs under this chapter conducted by the regional offices of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and prepare a written report of best practices and procedures for use by the regional offices in conducting such reviews. The report shall be completed within 180 days after the date of enactment of this section.

(e) Best Practices Guidelines.—

(1) Uniform guidelines.— The Secretary shall issue uniform management review guidelines and program review guidelines based on the report under subsection (d). Each regional office shall use the guidelines in executing its State administrative review duties under this section.

(2) Publication.— The Secretary shall make publicly available on the Web site (or successor electronic facility) of the Administration the following documents upon their completion:

(A) The Secretary’s management review guidelines and program review guidelines.

(B) All State highway safety programs submitted under this chapter.

(D) The Administration’s Summary Report of findings from Management Reviews and Improvement Plans.

(3) Reports to state highway safety agencies.— The Secretary may not make publicly available a program, report, or review under paragraph (2) that is directed to a State highway safety agency until after the date on which the program, report, or review is submitted to that agency under this chapter.

(f) GAO Review.—

(1) Analysis.— The Comptroller General shall analyze the effectiveness of the Administration’s oversight of traffic safety grants under this chapter by determining the usefulness of the Administration’s advice to the States regarding administration and State activities under this chapter, the extent to which the States incorporate the Administration’s recommendations into their highway safety programs, and the improvements that result in a State’s highway safety program that may be attributable to the Administration’s recommendations.

(2) Report.— Not later than September 30, 2008, the Comptroller General shall submit a report on the results of the analysis to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

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