Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Department of Transportation

Title II: Related Agencies

Title III: General Provisions

Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996 - Title I: Department of Transportation - Makes appropriations for FY 1996 (with specified rescissions, limitations on obligations and direct loans, and liquidations of contract authorizations) for: (1) the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (including funds to transfer residual rail and motor carriers functions from the Interstate Commerce Commission to the Department of Transportation); (2) the Coast Guard; (3) the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); (4) the Federal Highway Administration (FHA); (5) the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; (6) the Federal Railroad Administration (including funds for Alaska Railroad rehabilitation, the Pennsylvania Station Redevelopment Project in New York City, and specified Rhode Island rail development); (7) the Federal Transit Administration; (8) the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; (9) the Research and Special Programs Administration; (10) the Office of the Inspector General; and (11) the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Title II: Related Agencies - Makes appropriations for FY 1996 for: (1) the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board; (2) the National Transportation Safety Board; (3) the Interstate Commerce Commission (for severance, closing costs, and other sunset expenses); and (4) the Panama Canal Commission.

Title III: General Provisions - Sets forth specified prohibitions, limitations, permissions, and mandates with respect to the use of appropriations under this Act.

(Sec. 308) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to enter into grants, cooperative agreements, and other transactions with any person, agency, U.S. instrumentality, any State or local government, any educational institution, and any other entity in execution of the Technology Reinvestment Project authorized under the Defense Conversion, Reinvestment and Transition Assistance Act of 1992 and related legislation.

(Sec. 310) Requires the Secretary to distribute, on a ratio-formulated basis, Federal-aid highway State obligation limits for FY 1996 for Federal-aid highways.

Prohibits a State from obligating more than 25 percent of its allocation for such projects during the first three months of FY 1996. Sets forth additional specified obligation limits for States during FY 1996.

(Sec. 311) Limits funds available for salaries and expenses to no more than 100 political and presidential appointees in the Department of Transportation. Prohibits the assignment of such personnel on temporary detail outside of the Department.

(Sec. 316) Prohibits the use of funds to establish a vessel traffic safety fairway less than five miles wide between the Santa Barbara Traffic Separation Scheme and the San Francisco Traffic Separation Scheme.

(Sec. 317) Authorizes airports to transfer, without consideration, to the FAA any instrument landing systems which were purchased through a Federal airport aid or development program and which conform to FAA performance specifications.

(Sec. 318) Prohibits the use of funds to award multiyear contracts for production end items that include: (1) economic order quantity or long lead time material procurement in excess of $10 million in any one year of the contract; (2) a cancellation charge greater than $10 million which at the time of obligation has not been appropriated to the limits of the Government's liability; or (3) a requirement that permits performance under the contract during the second and subsequent years without conditioning such performance upon the appropriation of funds.

(Sec. 320) Prohibits the use of funds to enforce provisions of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 requiring States to use recycled rubber in their asphalt pavement.

(Sec. 324) Prohibits the use of funds to place speed limit or distance signs using the metric system on any State highway.

(Sec. 325) Requires tolls collected from motor vehicles on any bridge connecting the boroughs of Brooklyn, New York, and Staten Island, New York, to continue to be collected for only those vehicles exiting from such bridge in Staten Island.

(Sec. 329) Declares the sense of the Congress that all equipment and products bought with funds under this Act should be American-made. Requires each Federal agency to give notice of this policy to any entity it provides financial assistance or contracts with.

(Sec. 331) Subjects the acquisition by the U.S. Coast Guard of all 47-foot Motor Life Boats to open competition for all U.S. shipyards.

(Sec. 332) Prohibits the use of funds in this Act for planning or construction of a sixth runway at the new Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado.

(Sec. 335) Cancels permanently $25 million of the budgetary resources provided to the Department of Transportation. Directs the Secretary to reduce the existing field office structure and consolidate administrative activities.

Authorizes the President to transmit to the Congress, in conjunction with the budget request, a plan for the reorganization of the Department's surface transportation activities and its relationship with the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

(Sec. 337) Prohibits the use of funds for employee training unless it is consistent with existing Federal employee training requirements.

(Sec. 343) Authorizes the transfer of funds obligated for a road access project in West Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, to a road access project in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

(Sec. 345) Directs the Secretary to identify successful telecommuting programs in the public and private sectors and provide to the public information regarding the establishment of such programs and their costs and benefits.

(Sec. 346) Exempts the Indian Reservation roads program from any reduction in authorizations due to budget reductions.

(Sec. 349) Amends Federal transportation law to grant congressional consent to the States to establish State infrastructure banks and to enter into interstate compacts establishing transportation infrastructure banks to promote regional or multi-State investment in transportation infrastructure. Authorizes a State or Interstate Compact Transportation Infrastructure Bank to make loans, issue debt, and provide other assistance to public or private entities constructing transportation projects, programs, or activities that are eligible to receive assistance under specified Federal provisions. Sets forth Infrastructure Bank requirements. Authorizes appropriations.

(Sec. 350) Directs the Secretary to develop both a personnel management system and an acquisition management system for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

(Sec. 354) Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) administer and implement exemptions from certain odometer disclosure requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations; and (2) adopt or amend such exemptions for any class or category of vehicle deemed appropriate.

(Sec. 355) Designates the FAA Technical Center at the Atlantic City International Airport in Pomona, New Jersey, as the William J. Hughes Technical Center.

(Sec. 356) Prohibits the use of funds to close any multi-mission small boat stations or subunits. Authorizes the Secretary to implement management efficiencies within the small boat unit system, provided that no stations or subunits are closed.

(Sec. 357) Makes specified funds available for certain surface transportation projects in Louisiana.

(Sec. 359) Directs agency heads to achieve five percent reduction in the energy costs of Federal facilities.

(Sec. 360) Requires the Secretary to study and report to a specified congressional committee about air fares.

(Sec. 361) Makes specified funds available to establish the Institute for Railroad Safety.

(Sec. 362) Urges Japan to honor the terms of the United States-Japan bilateral aviation agreement. Urges the President to: (1) identify strong and appropriate forms of countermeasures that could be taken against Japan for its violation of the agreement; and (2) promptly impose against Japan any necessary and appropriate countermeasures to ensure that Japan abides by the agreement.

(Sec. 364) Amends Federal highway safety law and other Federal transportation law to repeal the establishment of the National Highway Safety Advisory Committee and the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Regulatory Review Panel (thus abolishing them).

Requires the Secretary (currently, the Review Panel) to annually analyze State laws and regulations and decide which ones are related to commercial motor vehicle safety.

(Sec. 365) Amends Federal highway law to postpone from September 30, 1995 to September 30, 1997, the prohibition against apportionment of Federal highway funds for the National Highway System or the Interstate maintenance program unless the Congress approves a law designating the National Highway System. Designates the most recent National Highway System submitted by the Secretary as the National Highway System. Authorizes the Secretary to approve a State request for a change in the National Highway System if such change: (1) meets certain criteria established for the System; and (2) enhances the national transportation characteristics of it.