What is the purpose of this change?

1. With the transfer of motor carrier operations/functions out of FHWA in October 1999 and the gradual and then final transfer of attorneys to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in October 2001, FHWA's Office of Chief Counsel no longer provides legal advice and services to FMCSA. The purpose of this change is to document the discontinuance of legal services to FMCSA, formally abolish the former Motor Carrier and Highway Safety (MC&HS) Law Division, and to document other organizational changes that have occurred within the Office of Chief Counsel.

2. The Program Legal Services (PLS) Division has assumed responsibility for providing those safety and operations-related legal services of the former MC&HS Law Division that remain within FHWA. The PLS Division's previous responsibility for providing legal services on Native American issues is transferred to the Federal Lands Legal Services Team, including advice and services relating to planning and environment, infrastructure, and Traditional Cultural Properties issues. Miscellaneous other changes are included as described below.

Which parts of FHWA Order M 1100.1A are being updated? The Introduction and Part II (Functions), Chapters 9 (Chief Counsel) and 15 (Associate Administrator for Administration), are being updated.

1. This change amends Chapter 9 as follows.

   (1) References to the Office of Chief Counsel providing legal advice and services to the FMCSA are deleted in mission and function statements throughout the chapter. Under the functional statements for the immediate Office of Chief Counsel and the Administrative and Technology Law Division, a statement is added reflecting that, upon request, legal services are provided to FHWA's Office of Acquisition Management with regard to that office's administration of FMCSA contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements.

   (2) The former MC&HS Law Division, previously documented in Section 3, is formally abolished and its mission and function statements are deleted from this Manual. Succeeding sections are renumbered. The Office of Chief Counsel's organization chart (Figure 9-1) is revised to delete the MC&HS Law Division and associated wording.

   (3) Section 3 (now the Program Legal Services Division) is revised to reflect that this division provides legal advice and services relating to safety and operations-related functions.

   (4) Section 6 (now the Federal Lands Legal Services Team), Paragraph 2 (Functions), subparagraph k (Federal Lands/Native American Issues), is reworded for clarity and to reflect that this team provides legal advice and services on Native American matters, including the application of environmental laws and regulations, planning, infrastructure, and Traditional Cultural Properties issues.

2. Chapter 15 is updated to reflect that the Associate Administrator for Administration serves as the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information Officer.

3. Minor technical and grammatical changes are not listed above, however, they are reflected by a change line in the Manual text.

Where can I obtain additional information concerning these changes? If you have questions about these changes, you may contact the Office of Information and Management Services, Management Programs and Analysis Division.