Incentive Grants for Alcohol-Impaired Driving Prevention Programs

This interim final rule amends the regulations that implement the Section 410 program, under which States can receive incentive grants for alcohol-impaired driving prevention programs. The amendments to the regulations reflect changes that were made to the Section 410 program by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TA-21). As a result of this interim final rule, the basic grant program now provides States with two alternative means for qualifying for a basic grant. Under the first alternative, States may qualify for a ``Programmatic Basic Grant'' if they submit materials demonstrating that they meet five out of seven grant criteria. Under the second alternative, States may qualify for a ``Performance Basic Grant'' by submitting data demonstrating that the State has successfully reduced the percentage of alcohol-impaired fatally injured drivers in the State over a three-year period. If States qualify for both a Programmatic and a Performance Basic Grant, they may receive both grants. This rule also provides that States that are eligible for one or both of the basic grants may qualify also for a supplemental grant. This interim final rule establishes the criteria States must meet and the procedures they must follow to qualify for Section 410 incentive grants, beginning in FY 1999.