Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2026

6302A. Transportation Statistics Coordination Council.

(a) In general. Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish the Transportation Statistics Coordination Council (in this subsection referred to as the Council) to coordinate statistical activities and evaluations across the Department.

(b) Membership. The Council shall be composed of a representative from each operating administration of the Department that conducts a program related to any statistical activities and evaluations documented by the Department. The Secretary may designate additional members to the Council as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(c) Chairperson. The Director shall serve as the Chairperson of the Council.

(d) Duties. The Council shall carry out the following:

(1) Assist the Director in carrying out the duties required under subsection (b)(3) of section 6302.

(2) Review the comprehensive data inventory of the Department developed and maintained pursuant to section 3511 of title 44, to identify any data assets of the Department that are duplicative or fragmented across the Department;

(3) Identify any opportunity to reduce burden, including with respect to a State, local, or Tribal government or a private sector entity, by consolidating into a centralized repository managed by the Director similar collection of information from different operating administrations.

(4) Advise the Director with respect to the development and implementation of Department-wide data guidelines, standards, metadata schemas, and common taxonomies related to any statistical activities and evaluations conducted by the Department.

(e) Report. Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that includes information related to the following:

(1) A comprehensive inventory of any statistical activities and evaluations conducted by the Department.

(2) A plan for the elimination of any statistical activities and evaluations conducted outside the Bureau that duplicate the duties required under subsection (b)(3) of section 6302, including information relating to the following:

(A) Any plan for an order or agreement under section 1535 of title 31.

(B) An analysis related to whether all statistical activities and evaluations of the Department should be centralized within the Bureau.

(3) A governance strategy and any recommendations to ensure the Department and any operating administration of the Department is following the Department-wide data guidelines, standards, metadata schemas, and common taxonomies referred to in subsection (d)(4).

(4) An assessment of any administrative, technical, or legal barrier to the governance strategy and recommendations described in paragraph (3), including any findings or milestones for implementation by the Department the Council determines necessary to achieve a unified, secure, and efficient departmental statistical infrastructure in accordance with such subparagraph.

(f) Definitions. In this section:

(1) Burden; collection of information. The terms burden and collection of information have the meaning given such terms in section 3502 of title 44.

(2) Evaluation. The term evaluation has the meaning given such term in section 311 of title 5.

(3) Statistical activities. The term statistical activities has the meaning given such term in section 3561 of title 44.

6302A. Transportation Statistics Coordination Council.