National Motor Carrier Safety (20.218)
Program
20.218 National Motor Carrier Safety
Federal Agency
FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Authorization
Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982, Sections 401-408, Public Law 97-424; Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1991, Public Law 102-240; 49 U.S.C. App. 2301-2307; Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, Public Law 105-178.
Program Number
20.218
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To reduce the number and severity of accidents and hazardous material incidents involving commercial motor vehicles by substantially increasing the level and effectiveness of enforcement activity and the likelihood that safety defects, driver deficiencies, and unsafe carrier practices will be detected and corrected.
Types of Assistance
Formula Grants.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Assistance to States for the implementation of programs for the adoption and uniform enforcement of safety rules, regulations and standards compatible with the Federal Motor Carrier safety regulations and Federal hazardous materials regulations for both interstate and intrastate motorcarriers and drivers.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
A qualified State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (a State).
Beneficiary Eligibility
General public.
Credentials/Documentation
Certification by the State that it meets the conditions for grant approval. Submission of a State Plan addressing the commercial motor carrier and highway hazardous materials safety within the State. Cost will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Scheduled regional pre-planning conferences. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
File with FMCSA Division Office an FMCSA Form MCSAP-1, which includes a certification of eligibility, and the State Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110.
Award Procedure
The amount of the basic MCSAP grant to a qualifying State will be determined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration based on the availability of funds, the eligibility of a State, and the formula set in 49 CFR 350. State will be required to sign a grant agreement.
Deadlines
Application for a grant must be filed with the FMCSA Division Office by August 1 of each year.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
State will be notified in writing of failure to submit a satisfactory State Plan. State will have 30 days to modify and resubmit the plan.
Renewals
Application for a grant must be made annually.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
The MCSAP formula is described in 49 CFR 350.323. Most funds will be allocated each year among the States according to a formula based on four equally weighted (25 percent) factors: (1) 1997 road miles (all highways) as defined by the FHWA: (2) All vehicle miles traveled as defined by the FHWA; (3) Population - annual census estimates as issued by the U. S. Census Bureau; and (4) special fuel consumption (net after reciprocity adjustment) as defined by the FHWA. The Federal share shall not exceed 80 percent of the approved incremental increase over the State's average aggregate expenditure (monies spent during the base period of Federal or State fiscal years 1997, 1998 and 1999) of State funds for motor carrier and highway hazardous materials safety enforcement purposes, in the year in which the grant is sought. The State's share is at least 20 percent. The FMCSA shall, upon request, waive the requirement for matching funds to be provided by the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. Additional funds are allocated under the provisions of the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants are available for up to 1 year. Obligations to a State will remain available for expenditure for the fiscal year in which they were obligated and the next full fiscal year.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
A quarterly Activity Reportis to be filed with the FMCSA Division Office.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records
Records of all program activities covered in the State's Safety Plan and statistics pertaining to commercial motor vehicle accidents. Such records must be kept for 3 years following the year of funding.
Program Accomplishments
In fiscal year 2001, the program supported approximately 9,200 full and part-time State personnel nationwide who performed approximately 2.6 million inspections, resulting in increased uniformity in the enforcement of motor vehicle safety regulations throughout the United States and the promotion of commercial vehicle safety. Training was provided for State enforcement personnel through the delivery of about 250 commercial vehicle safety courses, reaching over 3,700 State personnel nationwide. In recognition that border states face special problems associated with a projected increase in commercial vehicle traffic as the North American Free Trade Agreement provisions are implemented, special funding was made available to those border states, resulting in over 280,8747 commercial vehicle inspections along the U.S. border with Mexico. About 69,000 of the total inspections were of Mexican vehicles and drivers. The program also supported national commercial vehicle safety activities related to inspection process improvements, data collection and analysis, judicial outreach and drug interdiction. Intelligent transportation system projects were implemented resulting in the use of safety information technologies to identify high-risk motor carriers for enforcement actions.
Financial Information
Account Identification
69-8048-0-7-401.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 02 $160,000,000; FY 03 $163,928,000; and FY 043 est $164,594,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Not less than 0.44 percent or more than 4.94 percent of available funds for basic program grants.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature: 49 CFR 1.48. 49 CFR 386-399, Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations; 49 CFR 100-180, Hazardous Materials Regulations, Government Printing Office, $14-$27 per volume.
Related Programs
20.217, Motor Carrier Safety.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
State-level office of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, as listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office
Federal Motor Carrier and Safety Administration, State Programs, MC-ESS, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-9579.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
Roadside driver and vehicle inspections.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
The applicant must meet the statutory and administrative requirements contained in 49 CFR 350. The State Plan must provide for an effective safety program.
