(a) Except as prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation, each Administrator is authorized to:
(1) Exercise the authority of the Secretary over and with respect to any personnel within their respective organizations.
(2) Exercise the authority of the Secretary as executive head of a department, under any statute, Executive Order or regulation.
(3) Exercise the authority vested in the Secretary to prescribe regulations under 49 U.S.C. 322(a) with respect to statutory provisions for which authority is delegated by other sections in this part.
(4) Carry out the functions of the Secretary concerning environmental enhancement by 49 U.S.C. 303 (Duties of the Secretary of Transportation: Policy on lands, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, and historic sites) and 23 U.S.C. 138 as they relate to matters within the primary responsibility of each Operating Administration.
(5) Carry out the functions of the Secretary under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7506(c)), and related environmental laws as they relate to matters within the primary responsibility of each Operating Administration.
(6) Carry out the functions of the Secretary under section 106 of the Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 16 U.S.C. 470f, as they relate to matters within the primary responsibility of each Operating Administration.
(7) Administer FOIA and 49 CFR part 7 (Public Availability of Information) in connection with the records of the Operating Administration.
(8) Administer the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a and 49 CFR part 10 (Maintenance of and Access to Records Pertaining to Individuals) in connection with the records of the Operating Administration.
(9) Make written requests under subsection (b)(7) of the Privacy Act for records maintained by other agencies that are necessary to carry out an authorized law enforcement activity.
(10) Carry out the emergency preparedness functions assigned to the Secretary by Executive Order 12656, (as amended; see E.O. 13286) and by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and General Services Administration (FEMA and GSA) as they pertain to his or her administration, including those relating to continuity of operations, emergency resource management, associated Federal claimant procedures, facilities protection and warfare effects monitoring and reporting, research, stockpiling, financial aid, and training.
(11) Enter into inter- and intradepartmental reimbursable agreements other than with the head of another department or agency. This authority may be redelegated only to Office Directors, Regional Directors, District Commanders or other comparable levels and Contracting Officers.
(12) Determine the existence and amount of indebtedness and the method of collecting repayments from employees within their respective administrations and collect repayments accordingly, as provided by 5 U.S.C. 5514. Redelegation of this authority may be made only to the principal officials responsible for financial management or such officials' principal assistants.
(13) Waive claims and make refunds in connection with claims of the United States for erroneous payment of pay and allowances or of travel, transportation, and relocation expenses and allowances in amounts aggregating not more than $1,500 without regard to any repayments, and deny requests for waiver of such claims regardless of the aggregate amount of the claim, as provided by 4 CFR parts 91, 92, and 93. Redelegation of this authority may be made only to the level of Regional Director or Regional Administrator.
(14) Settle and pay claims by employees for personal property losses as provided by 31 U.S.C. 3721 (Claims of personnel of agencies and the District of Columbia government for personal property damage or loss). This authority may be redelegated only to Office Directors, Regional Directors, or other comparable levels and to those individuals that report to the above officials.
(15) Exercise the authority of the Secretary to resolve informal allegations of discrimination arising in or relating to their respective organizations through Equal Employment Opportunity counseling or the Alternative Dispute Resolution process and to develop and implement affirmative action and diversity plans within their respective organizations. With regard to external civil rights programs, each Administrator exercises authority pursuant to statutes, regulations, Executive Orders, or delegations in this subpart to carry out these programs, under the guidance of the Director of the Departmental Office of Civil Rights, including conducting compliance reviews and other activities relating to the enforcement of these statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders.
(16) Review and approve for payment any voucher for $25 or less the authority for payment of which is questioned by a certifying or disbursing officer.
(17) Authorize and approve official non-foreign travel and transportation for themselves, their subordinates, and others performing services for, or in cooperation with, their Operating Administrations.
(18) Exercise the authority of the Secretary to make certifications, findings and determinations under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601, et seq. with regard to any rulemaking document for which issuance authority is delegated by other sections in this part. This authority may be redelegated to those officials to whom document issuance authority has been delegated.
(19) Carry out the functions vested in the Secretary by 15 U.S.C. 3710(a), which authorizes agencies to permit their laboratories to enter into cooperative research and development agreements.
(20) Request the Attorney General, after the concurrence of the General Counsel, to approve the award, compromise, or settlement of any tort claim for an amount exceeding $100,000 (excluding interest) (28 U.S.C. 2672).
(21) Compromise, suspend collection action on, or terminate claims of the United States not exceeding $100,000 (excluding interest) that are referred to, or arise out of the activities of, his or her Operating Administration.
(22) Compromise, suspend collection action on, or terminate claims against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act, not exceeding $100,000 (excluding interest) that are referred to, or arise out of the activities of, his or her Operating Administration; provided that when the Administrator believes that a claim against the United States presents a novel question of law or of policy, he or she shall coordinate with the General Counsel to obtain the advice of the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Division; and provided further that whenever he or she settles any administrative claim against the United States for an amount in excess of $50,000, the Administrator shall prepare a memorandum fully explaining the basis for the action taken and coordinate with the General Counsel before sending a copy of the memorandum to the Director, Federal Torts Claims Act Staff, Torts Branch of the Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice.
(23) Enter into memoranda of agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in regard to setting and enforcing occupational safety or health standards and whistleblower protection for employees in DOT-regulated industries. The General Counsel shall concur in each memorandum of understanding with OSHA prior to its execution by the Administrator of the Operating Administration concerned.
(24) Enter into memoranda of agreement with the Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) in regard to setting and enforcing safety standards for employees in DOT-regulated industries while on mine property. The General Counsel shall concur in each memorandum of agreement with MSHA prior to its execution by the Administrator of the Operating Administration concerned.
(25) Exercise the authority vested in the Secretary by Section 329A of the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1995, Public Law 103-331, 329A, 108 Stat. 2471, 2493 (September 30, 1994), to enter into grants, cooperative agreements, and other transactions with any person, agency, or instrumentality of the United States, any unit of state or local government, any educational institution, and any other entity in execution of the Technology Reinvestment Project authorized under the Defense Conversion, Reinvestment, and Transition Assistance Act of 1992, Public Law 102-484, 106 Stat. 2658 (October 23, 1992), and related legislation.
(26) Carry out the functions vested in the Secretary by 49 U.S.C. 40119(b), as implemented by 49 CFR part 15, in coordination with the Office of the General Counsel and the Office of Intelligence, Security and Emergency Response, relating to the determination that information is Sensitive Security Information within their respective organizations.
(27) Exercise the authority vested in the Secretary by 49 U.S.C. 326(a) and 31 U.S.C. 1353 to accept, in an amount not exceeding $1,000 in value and subject to the concurrence of the Operating Administration's Deputy Ethics Official, the following: Gifts of property (other than real property), gifts of services (in carrying out aviation duties and powers) or reimbursement of travel expenses from non-federal sources. Acceptance of such gifts or travel reimbursement exceeding $1,000 in value or those that are otherwise significant may only take place with the additional concurrence of the General Counsel. This delegation extends only to the acceptance of gifts or travel expenses and does not authorize the solicitation of gifts, which is reserved to the Secretary at 49 CFR 1.21.
(28) Exercise the authority vested in the Secretary by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-410, 104 Stat. 890), as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321), to promulgate rules that adjust civil penalties.
(29) Carry out the functions vested in the Secretary to implement the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act of 1970 (Uniform Act), 42 U.S.C. Chapter 61, with respect to programs administered by their respective Operating Administrations. Each Operating Administration may prescribe additional Uniform Act guidance that is appropriate to those particular programs, provided that such additional guidance must be consistent with the Uniform Act and 49 CFR Part 24. The lead agency for Uniform Act matters is the Federal Highway Administration (see section 1.85 and 49 CFR Part 24). Sec. 1.81a Redelegation by all Administrators.
Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Part, each Administrator may redelegate and authorize successive redelegations of authority within the organization under that official's jurisdiction.