(a) State seat belt use survey. (1) Beginning in calendar year 1998, State seat belt use rates used for determining allocations under this part shall be based on a survey conducted each calendar year by each State that satisfies all the requirements of part 1340 of this title (the Uniform Criteria for State Observational Surveys of Seat Belt Use).

(2) A State that does not conduct a survey required under paragraph (a)(1) of this section in any calendar year, or that conducts a survey that does not satisfy all the requirements of part 1340 of chapter III of this title, shall be ineligible for an allocation of funds on the basis of both § 1240.10(a)(1) and § 1240.10(a)(2) of this part during the second and third succeeding fiscal years (e.g., if a State fails to conduct a conforming survey in calendar year 1998, the State is ineligible for an allocation of funds during FY 2000 and FY 2001).

(b) Submission of survey information. (1) Each State shall submit to NHTSA, no later than March 1st after the calendar year during which a survey required under paragraph (a)(1) of this section is conducted, the seat belt use rate determined under the survey, reported as a percentage to one decimal place, accompanied by a survey report, consisting of all documentation identified in § 1340.5 of chapter III of this title and summarizing the results of any analyses conducted under the survey.

(2) NHTSA will review a survey report submitted under paragraph (b)(1) of this section to determine whether the survey complies with all the requirements of § 1340 of chapter III of this title. Written notice of approval or disapproval of a survey will be sent to the Governor's Representative for Highway Safety within 30 days of receipt of the survey report. Any notice of disapproval will be accompanied by a detailed statement of the reasons for disapproval.

(3) A State may elect to submit a description of its proposed survey methodology, consisting of all documentation identified in § 1340.5 (a), (b) and (c)(3) of chapter III of this title for advance review, prior to conducting the survey.

(4) NHTSA will review a proposed survey methodology submitted under paragraph (b)(3) of this section and inform the Governor's Representative for Highway Safety in writing within 30 days of receipt of the proposed methodology whether the survey, if conducted in accordance with the methodology, would comply with all the requirements of § 1340 of chapter III of this title. Any notice indicating non-compliance will be accompanied by a detailed statement of the reasons.

(5) A State that submits a description of its proposed survey methodology under paragraph (b)(3) of this section continues to be required to submit all information required under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, after the State conducts its survey, for review under paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(c) Submission of Certification—calendar year 1998 surveys. (1) A survey conducted by a State in calendar year 1998 shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of § 1340 of chapter III of this title, if—

(i) The survey's design was approved by the agency, in writing, on or after June 29, 1992, for the purposes of the grant program authorized under 23 U.S.C. 153;

(ii) The survey design has remained unchanged since the survey was approved (except to the extent that the requirements of paragraph (c)(1)(iii) constitute a change); and

(iii) The survey samples all passenger motor vehicles, measures seat belt use by all front seat outboard occupants in the sampled vehicles, and counts seat belt use only within the calendar year for which the seat belt use rate is reported.

(2) A State that meets the requirements of paragraph (c)(1) of this section shall submit a certification signed by the Governor's Representative for Highway Safety, in the form prescribed in appendix C of this part, accompanied by the information required under paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(3) Written notice of acceptance or rejection of a certification will be sent to the Governor's Representative for Highway Safety within 30 days of receipt of the information required under paragraph (c)(2) of this section. Any notice of rejection will be accompanied by a detailed statement of the reasons for rejection.

(d) Determination of State seat belt use rate. The seat belt use rate submitted by the State for a calendar year will be accepted as the State seat belt use rate for that calendar year if—

(1) It was determined under a survey whose survey report was approved under paragraph (b)(2) of this section; or

(2) For calendar year 1998 only, the State satisfies the requirements of paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this section, and its certification is accepted under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.