NHTSA Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence

(a) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish a Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence within the Department of Transportation, to provide leadership and technical assistance to States and law enforcement agencies to maximize efficient and effective ways to conduct traffic safety enforcement of hazardous driving behaviors with the goal to reduce fatalities and injuries on the roads of the United States. (b) Duties The Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence established under subsection (a) shall— (1) serve as a central location within the Department of Transportation for expertise in traffic safety enforcement; (2) provide State highway safety offices and law enforcement agencies across the country with centralized expertise, tools, and support; (3) promote evidence-based strategies on what works in hazardous driving behavior enforcement, including targeted, cost-effective drunk-driving patrols, speed enforcement best practices, and coordinated traffic safety campaigns proven to reduce roadway fatalities and injuries; (4) establish best-practice protocols for enforcement operations, with the goal of improving outcomes based on data and research; (5) develop and deliver standardized training on the use of data for hot spot detection, drug-impaired driving enforcement strategies, speed management, and other risk mitigation of death and injury on public roads; (6) assist States and agencies in using real-time data systems to identify high-crash corridors and target enforcement resources in the most efficient ways; (7) help agencies assess current enforcement practices and identify gaps; (8) provide recommendations for hazardous driving behavior enforcement plans based on crash data and local context; (9) assist agencies in using limited resources more efficiently through data-driven deployment and risk-based enforcement; (10) help States fully leverage programs under sections 402 and 405 of title 23, United States Code, by providing technical assistance on program development and design and outcome measurement tools; (11) launch model demonstration projects in States or cities to test new roadside technologies, data-driven deployment models, new enforcement strategies (such as those targeting drug-impaired driving), and share results nationally to help with the adoption of effective tools; (12) serve as a national convener for State highway safety offices, law enforcement agencies, traffic safety researchers, victims and survivors, and public health and traffic safety leaders; (13) collaborate with, and provide support on, traffic safety enforcement to all operating administrations of the Department of Transportation; and (14) have a workforce composed of Department of Transportation employees, including direct hires or detailees from operating administrations of the Department of Transportation, Department of Justice, and other Federal agencies. (c) Rule of construction The Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence shall not supersede laws or regulations granting certification authorities to Operating Administrations of the Department of Transportation. (d) Report on staffing needs Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall report to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on staffing needs and the staffing plan for the Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence. (e) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter to carry out this section.