Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 105 Part 3.djvu/261

This page needs to be proofread.

PUBLIC LAW 102-240—DEC. 18, 1991 105 STAT. 2145 "SEC. 407. COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEM PROGRAM. 49 USC app. "(a) INFORMATION SYSTEM. — "(1) REGISTRATION SYSTEMS REVIEW.—Not later than 1 year after the effective date of this section, the Secretary, in cooperation with the States, shall conduct a review of State motor vehicle registration systems pertaining to license tags for commercial motor vehicles in order to determine whether or not such systems could be utilized in carrying out this section. "(2) ESTABLISHMENT. — The Secretary, in cooperation with the States, may establish, as part of the motor carrier safety information network system of the Department of Transportation and similar State systems, an information system which will serve as a clearinghouse and depository of information pertaining to State registration and licensing of commercial motor vehicles and the safety fitness of the registrants of such vehicles. ' "(3) OPERATION.— Operation of the information system established under paragraph (2) shall be paid for by a system of user fees. The Secretary may authorize the operation of the information system by contract, through an agreement with, a State or States, or by designating, after consultation with the States, a third party which represents the interests of the States. "(4) DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING STANDARDS. — The Secretary shall establish standards to ensure uniform data collec- ' tion and reporting by all States necessary to carry out this section and to ensure the availability and reliability of the information to the States and the Secretary from the information system established under paragraph (2). "(5) TYPE OF INFORMATION. —As part of the information system established under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall include information on the safety fitness of the registrant of the commercial motor vehicle and such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate, including data on vehicle inspections and out-of-service orders. "(b) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.— The Secretary shall make grants Grants, to States to carry out a project to demonstrate methods of establishing an information system which will link the motor carrier safety information network system of the Department of Transportation and similar State systems with the motor vehicle registration and licensing systems of the States. The purposes of the project shall be— "(1) to allow a State when issuing license plates for a commercial motor vehicle to determine through use of the information system the safety fitness of the person seeking to register the vehicle; and "(2) to determine the types of sanctions which may be imposed , on the registrant, or the types of conditions or limitations which may be imposed on the operations of the registrant, to ensure the safety fitness of the registrant. "(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section. "(d) REPORT. —Not later than January 1, 1995, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report assessing the cost and benefits and feasibility of the information system established under this section and, if the Secretary determines that such system would