This bill creates the Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) program inside the Department of Transportation. The PARTS program continues an existing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration effort. The Secretary of Transportation must develop a charter within 180 days and contract with a nonprofit or university (an "external organization") to gather, analyze, and share traffic safety data for research.
The charter must say that data submitted by participants stays owned and controlled by those participants. Data generally will not be accessible to other parties except the contracted external organization. Sharing participant data with other participants requires express permission under the charter or a cooperative agreement. The charter must include safeguards for data handling, prevent reverse engineering that could identify participants, and limit use of analysis results to developing, deploying, assessing, regulating safety technology, and developing safety countermeasures. Participation is voluntary and does not replace or satisfy other existing Federal reporting requirements.
The bill makes reports and materials submitted to the Secretary or the contracted external organization for PARTS confidential and not subject to public disclosure under the cited Freedom of Information provision. The Paperwork Reduction Act will not apply to information gathered under PARTS. The Secretary is not required to issue regulations to run the program. The section does not cover information already required by other law or otherwise available to the Secretary.
If you choose to be a PARTS program participant (for example, an automaker, supplier, or fleet operator), your data stays under your ownership and control. The data will be used only in ways the charter allows and will not be shared with other participants without your permission. Information you provide for PARTS is treated as confidential and is excluded from public disclosure under the cited exemption. Participation is voluntary and does not remove any other reporting duties you may have under existing federal requirements. For members of the public, the bill sets up research that may inform vehicle safety work, but the bill text does not describe direct effects on individuals.
The bill authorizes appropriations to run the PARTS program as follows:
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.