Performance and Registration Information Systems Management (20.231)
Program
20.231 Performance and Registration Information Systems Management
Federal Agency
FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Authorization
Congress authorized funding for The Performance and Registration Information Systems Management Program (PRISM) through the Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1991, Public Law 102-240; the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century of 1998, Public Law 105-178; and The Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2006, Public Law 109-59.
Program Number
20.231
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To identify motor carriers responsible for the safety of commercial motor vehicles and monitor the safety fitness of those motor carriers by linking the vehicle registration process to safety performance monitoring and enforcement. Furthermore, causing the carrier to improve their safety performance through an improvement process, and where necessary, the application of registration sanctions.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants (Contracts).
Uses and Use Restrictions
Assistance to States for the implementation of the PRISM program, including training, outreach, and the development of system requirements linking motor carrier safety to the States commercial vehicle registration processes. This process allows States to capture the USDOT number of the motor carrier responsible for the safety of each vehicle at the vehicle level during registration.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
A qualified State of the United States and the District of Columbia.
Beneficiary Eligibility
States.
Credentials/Documentation
Submission of a State grant request and PRISM Implementation Plan addressing the program requirements outlined in the PRISM Implementation Guide.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
At the State's request, FMCSA will conduct an initial briefing of the PRISM program for State officials. If a State decides to join PRISM, FMCSA requests they state their intentions to implement the program in a Letter of Intent to FMCSA. A two-day in-depth PRISM training session is then scheduled with the respective State to provide a general overview of the program and a thorough review of the grant requirements included in the PRISM Implementation Guide. This program is excluded from coverage under E. O. 12372.
Application Procedure
File with the FMCSA Division Office a Letter of Intent, a SF 424 Short and the State's PRISM Implementation Plan specifying how the State will meet the program requirements, time frames for completion, and associated costs. A sample Letter of Intent, together with a SF 424 Short and a sample State Implementation Plan are available on the grants.gov website http://www.grants.gov.
Award Procedure
The amount of the PRISM grant funding allocated to a qualifying State will be determined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration based on the assessed needs of the State, the eligibility of the State, and the availability of funds. Once the State's PRISM Implementation Plan has been approved, the grant will be awarded and the State will be required to sign a grant agreement with FMCSA.
Deadlines
Application for a grant must be filed with the FMCSA Division Office within 120 calendar days following the FMCSA PRISM Implementation Guide training session.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
States will be notified in writing of failure to submit a satisfactory PRISM Implementation Plan. States will have 30 days to modify and resubmit the plan for approval.
Renewals
Not applicable.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula. PRISM grants are 100% federally funded and require no State matching of funds.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants are available for up to two years. Obligations to a State will remain available for expenditure during the two-year period specified in the grant agreement and may be extended under special circumstances with FMCSA approval.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Quarterly activity reports, including a summary of grant expenditures, are required 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 $300,000 ($500,000 for fiscal years ending after December 31, 2003) or more in a year in Federal awards will have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 ($500, 000 for fiscal years ending after December 31, 2003) 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 PRISM Implementation Plan and records pertaining to other supporting activities must be kept for 3 years following the year of funding.
Program Accomplishments
In fiscal year (FY) 2005, more than three million dollars in federal grant funding was distributed to five States to implement the PRISM program. The addition of these States brought the total number of States participating in PRISM to forty-two. Approximately 22 of these States are currently collecting MCS-150 forms and issuing USDOT numbers to interstate motor carriers as part of their registration process. As of July 2004, approximately 18 States have the legislative authority needed to invoke registration sanctions in conjunction with Federal orders to cease interstate operations. The FMCSA anticipates that at least three additional PRISM grant agreements will be signed during FY 2006. Major benefits evolving from PRISM include accountability for safety, a performance-based approach to safety management (SafeStat), improved data quality, and improved motor carrier safety.
Financial Information
Account Identification
69-8048-0-7-401.
Obligations
FY 05 Grants - $3,048,600, Contracts - $1,911,000; FY 06 Grants - $4,000,000, Contracts $1,015,000; and FY 07 Grants $5,000,000, Contracts - $967,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Financial assistance averages approximately $500,000 per State. Funding is determined based upon individual State needs for full implementation of the program.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
The Implementation Guide, Procedures Manual, and System Specifications for the PRISM program maybe obtained by contacting PRISMTechnicalSupport@Volpe.dot.gov. 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
None.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
State Division Offices of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, as listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Office of Enforcement and Compliance, MC-ECE, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC, 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-9699.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
State improvements to data information and registration systems, bar-coding, training and outreach activities.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
The applicant must submit and receive formal approval of a State PRISM Implementation Plan specifying how the State will meet the program requirements, time frames for completion, and associated costs of the program.
