republic-os/legal/us/code/title-23/chapter-5/section-501.md

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LegalText	23 U.S.C. § 501	Definitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	23	HIGHWAYS	5	RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY, AND EDUCATION	501	23 U.S.C. § 501	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc23@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t23/s501	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-23/usc23.xml	c814e29bab7624fa87581ef6f1b6df19e12688fba2a10389bf8c07be2fd5d816	e416780887af9b032b058a30d5deabd208499e53ab0f2ba19007646ef6293cbe	a9a45a3446eff7b9783f827c147004d9ce4202b50d8102096394446853e6476a	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

23 U.S.C. § 501 - Definitions

Text

In this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(1) Federal laboratory.— The term “Federal laboratory” includes a Government-owned, Government-operated laboratory and a Government-owned, contractor-operated laboratory.

(2) Incident.— The term “incident” means a crash, natural disaster, workzone activity, special event, or other emergency road user occurrence that adversely affects or impedes the normal flow of traffic.

(3) Innovation lifecycle.— The term “innovation lifecycle” means the process of innovating through—

(A) the identification of a need;

(B) the establishment of the scope of research to address that need;

(C) setting an agenda;

(D) carrying out research, development, deployment, and testing of the resulting technology or innovation; and

(E) carrying out an evaluation of the costs and benefits of the resulting technology or innovation.

(4) Intelligent transportation infrastructure.— The term “intelligent transportation infrastructure” means fully integrated public sector intelligent transportation system components, as defined by the Secretary.

(5) Intelligent transportation system.— The terms “intelligent transportation system” and “ITS” mean electronics, photonics, communications, or information processing used singly or in combination to improve the efficiency or safety of a surface transportation system.

(6) National architecture.— For purposes of this chapter, the term “national architecture” means the common framework for interoperability that defines—

(A) the functions associated with intelligent transportation system user services;

(B) the physical entities or subsystems within which the functions reside;

(C) the data interfaces and information flows between physical subsystems; and

(D) the communications requirements associated with the information flows.

(7) Project.— The term “project” means an undertaking to research, develop, or operationally test intelligent transportation systems or any other undertaking eligible for assistance under this chapter.

(8) Safety.— The term “safety” includes highway and traffic safety systems, research, and development relating to vehicle, highway, driver, passenger, bicyclist, and pedestrian characteristics, accident investigations, communications, emergency medical care, and transportation of the injured.

(9) Standard.— The term “standard” means a document that—

(A) contains technical specifications or other precise criteria for intelligent transportation systems that are to be used consistently as rules, guidelines, or definitions of characteristics so as to ensure that materials, products, processes, and services are fit for the intended purposes of the materials, products, processes, and services; and

(B) may support the national architecture and promote—

(i) the widespread use and adoption of intelligent transportation system technology as a component of the surface transportation systems of the United States; and

(ii) interoperability among intelligent transportation system technologies implemented throughout the States.

(Added Pub. L. 105–178, title V, § 5101(2), June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 422; amended Pub. L. 112–141, div. E, title II, § 52001, July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 865.)

Notes

Prior ProvisionsA prior section 501, added Pub. L. 90–495, § 30, Aug. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 830, related to declaration of policy as to highway relocation assistance, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 91–646, title II, § 220(a)(10), Jan. 2, 1971, 84 Stat. 1903.

Editorial Notes

Amendments2012—Pars. (2) to (9). Pub. L. 112–141 added pars. (2) to (7), redesignated former par. (2) as (8), and added par. (9).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2012 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 112–141 effective Oct. 1, 2012, see section 3(a) of Pub. L. 112–141, set out as an Effective and Termination Dates of 2012 Amendment note under section 101 of this title.

Authorization of AppropriationsPub. L. 114–94, div. A, title VI, § 6002, Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1561, provided that: “(a) In General.—The following amounts are authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account):“(1) Highway research and development program.—To carry out section 503(b) of title 23, United States Code, $125,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020. “(2) Technology and innovation deployment program.—To carry out section 503(c) of title 23, United States Code—“(A) $67,000,000 for fiscal year 2016; “(B) $67,500,000 for fiscal year 2017; “(C) $67,500,000 for fiscal year 2018; “(D) $67,500,000 for fiscal year 2019; and “(E) $67,500,000 for fiscal year 2020. “(3) Training and education.—To carry out section 504 of title 23, United States Code, $24,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020. “(4) Intelligent transportation systems program.—To carry out sections 512 through 518 of title 23, United States Code, $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020. “(5) University transportation centers program.—To carry out section 5505 of title 49, United States Code—“(A) $72,500,000 for fiscal year 2016; “(B) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2017; “(C) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2018; “(D) $77,500,000 for fiscal year 2019; and “(E) $77,500,000 for fiscal year 2020. “(6) Bureau of transportation statistics.—To carry out chapter 63 of title 49, United States Code, $26,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020. “(b) Administration.—The Federal Highway Administration shall—“(1) administer the programs described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a); and “(2) in consultation with relevant modal administrations, administer the programs described in subsection (a)(4). “(c) Applicability of Title 23, United States Code.—Funds authorized to be appropriated by subsection (a) shall—“(1) be available for obligation in the same manner as if those funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, except that the Federal share of the cost of a project or activity carried out using those funds shall be 80 percent, unless otherwise expressly provided by this Act [div. A of Pub. L. 114–94, see Tables for classification] (including the amendments by this Act) or otherwise determined by the Secretary [of Transportation]; and “(2) remain available until expended and not be transferable, except as otherwise provided in this Act.”