49 USC 5322 - Human Resources and Training

(a) In General.—The Secretary may undertake, or make grants and contracts for, programs that address human resource needs as they apply to public transportation activities. A program may include—

(1) an employment training program;

(2) an outreach program to increase minority and female employment in public transportation activities;

(3) research on public transportation personnel and training needs; and

(4) training and assistance for minority business opportunities.

(b) Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development Program.—

(1) Program established.—The Secretary shall establish a competitive grant program to assist the development of innovative activities eligible for assistance under subsection (a).

(2) Selection of recipients.—To the maximum extent feasible, the Secretary shall select recipients that—

(A) are geographically diverse;

(B) address the workforce and human resources needs of large public transportation providers;

(D) address the workforce and human resources needs of urban public transportation providers;

(E) address the workforce and human resources needs of rural public transportation providers;

(F) advance training related to maintenance of alternative energy, energy efficiency, or zero emission vehicles and facilities used in public transportation;

(G) target areas with high rates of unemployment; and

(H) address current or projected workforce shortages in areas that require technical expertise.

(c) Government's Share of Costs.—The Government share of the cost of a project carried out using a grant under subsection (a) or (b) shall be 50 percent.

(d) National Transit Institute.—

(1) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish a national transit institute and award grants to a public 4-year degree-granting institution of higher education, as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)), in order to carry out the duties of the institute.

(2) Duties.—

(A) In general.—In cooperation with the Federal Transit Administration, State transportation departments, public transportation authorities, and national and international entities, the institute established under paragraph (1) shall develop and conduct training and educational programs for Federal, State, and local transportation employees, United States citizens, and foreign nationals engaged or to be engaged in Government-aid public transportation work.

(B) Training and educational programs.—The training and educational programs developed under subparagraph (A) may include courses in recent developments, techniques, and procedures related to—

(i) intermodal and public transportation planning;

(ii) management;

(iii) environmental factors;

(iv) acquisition and joint use rights-of-way;

(v) engineering and architectural design;

(vi) procurement strategies for public transportation systems;

(vii) turnkey approaches to delivering public transportation systems;

(viii) new technologies;

(ix) emission reduction technologies;

(x) ways to make public transportation accessible to individuals with disabilities;

(xi) construction, construction management, insurance, and risk management;

(xii) maintenance;

(xiii) contract administration;

(xiv) inspection;

(xv) innovative finance;

(xvi) workplace safety; and

(xvii) public transportation security.

(3) Providing education and training.—Education and training of Government, State, and local transportation employees under this subsection shall be provided—

(A) by the Secretary at no cost to the States and local governments for subjects that are a Government program responsibility; or

(B) when the education and training are paid under paragraph (4) of this subsection, by the State, with the approval of the Secretary, through grants and contracts with public and private agencies, other institutions, individuals, and the institute.

(4) Availability of amounts.—Not more than .5 percent of the amounts made available for a fiscal year beginning after September 30, 1991, to a State or public transportation authority in the State to carry out sections 5307 and 5309 of this title is available for expenditure by the State and public transportation authorities in the State, with the approval of the Secretary, to pay not more than 80 percent of the cost of tuition and direct educational expenses related to educating and training State and local transportation employees under this subsection.

(e) Report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Federal Public Transportation Act of 2012, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report concerning the measurable outcomes and impacts of the programs funded under subsections (a) and (b).

(Pub. L. 103–272, §1(d), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 820; Pub. L. 109–59, title III, §§3002(b)(4), 3022, Aug. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1545, 1614; Pub. L. 112–141, div. B, §20015, July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 695.)

Historical and Revision Notes
Revised Section	Source (U.S. Code)	Source (Statutes at Large)
5322	49 App.:1616.	July 9, 1964, Pub. L. 88–365, 78 Stat. 302, §20; added Nov. 6, 1978, Pub. L. 95–599, §315, 92 Stat. 2751.

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Last modified: October 26, 2015