PUBLIC LAW 105-178-JUNE 9, 1998 112 STAT. 221 land management agency may use funds authorized for use by the agency as the non-Federal share.". (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT. — The analysis for chapter 1 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following: "162. National scenic byways program.". SEC. 1220. ELIMINATION OF REGIONAL OFFICE RESPONSIBILITIES. 49 USC 104 note. (a) IN GENERAL.— (1) ELIMINATION. —The Secretary shall eliminate any programmatic decisionmaking responsibility of the regional offices of the Federal Highway Administration for the Federal-aid highway program as part of the Administration's efforts to restructure its field organization. (2) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall eliminate regional offices, create technical resource centers, and, to the maximum extent practicable, delegate authority to State offices of the Federal Highway Administration. (b) PREFERENCE. —In locating the technical resource centers, the Secretary shall give preference to cities that house, on the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Highway Administration regional offices and are in locations that minimize the travel distance between the technical resource centers and the Federal Highway Administration division offices that will be served by the new technical resource centers. (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS. — The Secretary shall transmit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a detailed implementation plan to carry out this section not later than September 30, 1998, and thereafter provide periodic progress reports on carrying out this section to such Committees. (d) IMPLEMENTATION. —The Secretary shall begin implementation of the plan transmitted under subsection (c) not later than December 31, 1998. SEC. 1221. TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNITY AND SYSTEM 23 USC 101note. PRESERVATION PILOT PROGRAM. (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—In cooperation with appropriate State, regional, and local governments, the Secretary shall establish a comprehensive initiative to- investigate and address the relationships between transportation and community and system preservation and identify private sector-based initiatives. (b) RESEARCH.— (1) IN GENERAL.—In cooperation with appropriate Federal agencies. State, regional, and local governments, and other entities eligible for assistance under subsection (d), the Secretary shall carry out a comprehensive research program to investigate the relationships between transportation, community preservation, and the environment and the role of the private sector in shaping such relationships. (2) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.— The program shall provide for monitoring and analysis of projects carried out with funds made available to carry out subsections (c) and (d). (c) PLANNING.— (1) IN GENERAL. —The Secretary shall allocate funds made availalsle to carry out this subsection to States, metropolitan
�
