49 U.S.C. § 6302: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

There shall be within the Department of Transportation the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The Bureau shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed in the competitive service by the Secretary. The Director shall be appointed from among individuals who are qualified to serve as the Director by virtue of their training and experience in the collection, analysis, and use of transportation statistics. serve as the senior advisor to the Secretary on data and statistics; and be responsible for carrying out the duties described in subparagraph (B). the Federal Government; State and local governments; metropolitan planning organizations; transportation-related associations; the private sector, including the freight community; and the public; to effectively integrate safety data across modes; and to address gaps in existing safety data programs of the Department; to establish and implement the data programs of the Bureau; and to improve the coordination of information collection efforts with other Federal agencies; continually improve surveys and data collection methods of the Department to improve the accuracy and utility of transportation statistics; the Bureau; the operating administrations of the Department; State and local governments; metropolitan planning organizations; and private sector entities; transportation safety across all modes and intermodally; the state of good repair of United States transportation infrastructure; the extent, connectivity, and condition of the transportation system, building on the national transportation atlas database developed under section 6309; economic efficiency across the entire transportation sector; employment in the transportation sector; the effects of the transportation system, including advanced technologies and automation, on global and domestic economic competitiveness; demographic, economic, and other variables influencing travel behavior, including choice of transportation mode and goods movement; transportation-related variables that influence the domestic economy and global competitiveness; economic costs and impacts for passenger travel and freight movement; intermodal and multimodal passenger movement; intermodal and multimodal freight movement; and consequences of transportation for the human and natural environment; build and disseminate the transportation layer of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure developed under Executive Order 12906 (59 Fed. Reg. 17671) (or a successor Executive Order), including by coordinating the development of transportation geospatial data standards, compiling intermodal geospatial data, and collecting geospatial data that is not being collected by other entities; issue guidelines for the collection of information by the Department that the Director determines necessary to develop transportation statistics and carry out modeling, economic assessment, and program assessment activities to ensure that such information is accurate, reliable, relevant, uniform, and in a form that permits systematic analysis by the Department; the statistics proposed by the heads of the operating administrations of the Department to measure outputs and outcomes as required by the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 ( Public Law 103–62 ; 107 Stat. 285 ); and at the request of the Secretary, any other data collected or statistical information published by the heads of the operating administrations of the Department; and ensure that the statistics published under this section are readily accessible to the public, consistent with applicable security constraints and confidentiality interests. In carrying out subsection (b)(3)(B)(ii), the Director shall be given access to all safety data that the Director determines necessary to carry out that subsection that is held by the Department or any other Federal agency upon written request and subject to any statutory or regulatory restrictions. to obtain the approval of any other officer or employee of the Department with respect to the collection or analysis of any information; or prior to publication, to obtain the approval of any other officer or employee of the United States Government with respect to the substance of any statistical technical reports or press releases lawfully prepared by the Director. all hiring, grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded by the Bureau to carry out this section; and the disposition and allocation of amounts paid to the Bureau for cost-reimbursable projects. The Secretary shall direct external support functions, such as the coordination of activities involving multiple modal administrations. The Department Chief Information Officer shall consult with the Director to ensure decisions related to information technology guarantee the protection of the confidentiality of information provided solely for statistical purposes, in accordance with section 3572 of title 44 . Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act [ May 16, 2024 ], the Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics shall initiate a rulemaking to revise section 234.4 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to create a new ‘cause of delay’ category (or categories) that identifies and tracks information on delays and cancellations of air carriers (as defined in section 40102 of title 49 , United States Code) that are due to instructions from the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] Air Traffic Control System and to make any other changes necessary to carry out this section. Aircraft cleaning necessitated by the death of a passenger. Aircraft damage caused by extreme weather, foreign object debris, or sabotage. A baggage or cargo loading delay caused by an outage of a bag system not controlled by a carrier or its contractor. Cybersecurity attacks (provided that the air carrier is in compliance with applicable cybersecurity regulations). A shutdown or system failure of government systems that directly affects the ability of an air carrier to safely conduct flights and is unexpected. Overheated brakes due to a safety incident resulting in the use of emergency procedures. Unscheduled maintenance, including in response to an airworthiness directive, manifesting outside a scheduled maintenance program that cannot be deferred or must be addressed before flight. An emergency that required medical attention through no fault of the carrier. The removal of an unruly passenger. An airport closure due to the presence of volcanic ash, wind, or wind shear. The Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics shall update the reporting framework of the Bureau to create a new category to identify and track information on complaints related to family seating. The requirements in paragraph (1) shall cease to be effective on the date on which the rulemaking required by section 513 [of Pub. L. 118–63 , 49 U.S.C. 42301 note prec.] is effective. The Secretary [of Transportation] shall include information on delays and cancellations that are due to instructions from the FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center in the Air Travel Consumer Report issued by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection of the Department of Transportation. in the Air Travel Consumer Report issued by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection of the Department of Transportation; and on the family seating dashboard required by subsection (a)(2). The requirements in paragraph (2) shall cease to be effective on the date on which the rulemaking required by section 513 is effective.” States; political subdivisions of States; cities; metropolitan planning organizations; regional transportation planning organizations; and federally recognized Indian Tribes. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [ Nov. 15, 2021 ], based on the outreach performed under subsection (a), the Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics shall submit to the Secretary [of Transportation] a work plan for reviewing and updating existing data analysis tools and developing any additional data analysis tools needed to assist local communities with making infrastructure investment decisions. a description of the data analysis tools identified that would benefit infrastructure decision-making by local governments and address the goals described in subsection (c); a review of the datasets that local governments need to effectively use the data analysis tools described in subparagraph (A); an identification of existing or proposed data analysis tools that use publicly available data; the estimated cost of obtaining each dataset described in subparagraph (B); the estimated cost to develop the data analysis tools described in subparagraph (A); a prioritization for the development of data analysis tools described in subparagraph (A); and a determination as to whether it would be appropriate for the Federal Government to develop the data analysis tools described in subparagraph (A). A data analysis tool created pursuant to the work plan submitted under subsection (b)(1) shall be developed to help inform local communities in making infrastructure investments. Improving maintenance of existing assets. Rebuilding infrastructure to a state of good repair. Creating economic development through infrastructure development. Establishing freight plans and infrastructure that connects the community to supply chains. Increasing options for communities that lack access to affordable transportation to improve access to jobs, affordable housing, schools, medical services, foods and other essential community services. Reducing congestion. Improving community resilience to extreme weather events. Any other subject, as the Director determines to be necessary. Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall develop data analysis tools and purchase datasets as prioritized in the work plan. The Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics may utilize existing working groups or advisory committees to perform the local outreach required under subsection (a).”