112 STAT. 436 PUBLIC LAW 105-178—JUNE 9, 1998 "(4) ensure that planning and reporting activities carried out under this section are coordinated with all other surface transportation planning and reporting requirements. "(b) IMPLEMENTATION.— The Secretary shall— "(1) provide for the integrated planning, coordination, and consultation among the operating administrations of the Department of Transportation, all other Federal agencies with responsibility for surface transportation research and technology development. State and local governments, institutions of higher education, industry, and other private and public sector organizations engaged in surface transportation-related research and development activities; "(2) ensure that the surface transportation research and technology development programs of the Department do not duplicate other Federal, State, or private sector research and development programs; and "(3) provide for independent validation of the scientific and technical assumptions underlying the surface transportation research and technology development programs of the Department. " (c) SURFACE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN.— " (1) DEVELOPMENT. — The Secretary shall develop an integrated surface transportation research and technology development strategic plan. "(2) CONTENTS.— The plan shall include— "(A) an identification of the general goals and objectives of the Department of Transportation for surface transportation research and development; "(B) a description of the roles of the Department and other Federal agencies in achieving the goals identified under subparagraph (A), in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort; "(C) a description of the overall strategy of the Department, and the role of each of the operating administrations of the Department, in carrying out the plan over the next 5 years, including a description of procedures for coordination of the efforts of the Secretary with the efforts of the operating administrations of the Department and other Federal agencies; "(D) an assessment of how State and local research and technology development activities are contributing to the achievement of the goals identified under subparagraph (A); "(E) details of the surface transportation research and technology development programs of the Department, including performance goals, resources needed to achieve those goals, and performance indicators as described in section 1115(a) of title 31, United States Code, for the next 5 years for each area of research and technology development; "(F) significant comments on the plan obtained from outside sources; and "(G) responses to significant comments obtained from the National Research Council and other advisory bodies, and a description of any corrective actions taken pursuant to such comments.
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