108 STAT. 984 PUBLIC LAW 103-272—JULY 5, 1994 SUBCHAPTER IV—MISCELLANEOUS 31161. Procedures to ensure timely correction of safety violations. 31162. Compliance review priority. SUBCHAPTER I—STATE GRANTS §31101. Definitions In this subchapter— (1) "commercial motor vehicle" means (except in section 31106) a self-propelled or towed vehicle used on the highways in commerce principally to transport passengers or cargo, if the vehicle— (A) has a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 10,000 pounds; (B) is designed to transport more than 10 passengers including the driver; or (C) is used in transporting material found by the Secretary of Transportation to be hazardous under section 5103 of this title. (2) "employee" means a driver of a commercial motor vehicle (including an independent contractor when personally operating a commercial motor vehicle), a mechanic, a freight handler, or an individual not an employer, who— (A) directly affects commercial motor vehicle safety in the course of employment by a commercial motor carrier; and (B) is not an employee of the United States Government, a State, or a political subdivision of a State acting in the course of employment. (3) "employer"— (A) means a person engaged in a business affecting commerce that owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle in connection with that business, or assigns an employee to operate the vehicle in commerce; but (B) does not include the Government, a State, or a political subdivision of a State. (4) "State" means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. §31102. Grants to States (a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.— Subject to this section and the availability of amounts, the Secretary of Transportation may make grants to States for the development or implementation of programs for the enforcement of regulations, standards, and orders of the United States Government on commercial motor vehicle safety and compatible State regulations, standards, and orders. (b) STATE PLAN PROCEDURES AND CONTENTS.— (1) The Secretary shall prescribe procedures for a State to submit a plan under which the State agrees to adopt and assume responsibility for enforcing regulations, standards, and orders of the Government on commercial motor vehicle safety or compatible State regulations, standards, and orders. The Secretary shall approve the plan if the Secretary decides the plan is adequate to promote the objectives of this section and the plan— (A) designates the State motor vehicle safety agency responsible for administering the plan throughout the State;
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