The Laws

The Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act (STURAA) of 1987, Section 317: Bus Testing, establishes a requirement for new model buses to be tested prior to purchase with federal funds.  It also established the Bus Testing Center and defined the tests to be performed on the new model buses.

In 1991, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) amended Section 317 of STURAA in two significant ways: it requires additional tests be performed for emissions and brake performance, and it specifically adds alternative fuel buses to those required to be tested. ISTEA also authorizes the FTA to pay 80 percent of the costs of bus testing.

In 1998, TEA-21 allocated continued funding of the Bus Test Center and changed the contract between Penn State and the Federal Transit Administration to a cooperative agreement.