Chapter 723, Texas Transportation Code, the Traffic Safety Act, declares it to be a vital government purpose and function of the state and its legal and political subdivisions to establish, develop, and maintain a traffic safety program in Texas. Section 723.032 authorizes TxDOT to enter into grants and contracts to carry out a duty or activity that is part of the statewide Traffic Safety Program.

The aforementioned provisions of the Texas Transportation Code, which are contained in , act as the corresponding state equivalent of the federal Common Rule. Since states are allowed to use their own management systems if they are at least as restrictive as the requirement in the Common Rule, this management structure incorporates existing federal standards for grant management contained in 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

Although the states are given the right to use their own systems to manage programs, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) provides the grant funds, and therefore determines what types of programs are eligible for funding.

The Federal Highway Safety Act of 1966 makes the Governor of Texas responsible for preparing and administering a statewide Traffic Safety Program designed to reduce traffic crashes and the resulting property damage, injuries, and fatalities. The Governor has named the Executive Director of TxDOT to act as his or her representative in the Texas Behavioral Traffic Safety Program.

The following governor’s executive orders also regulate the Texas Behavioral Traffic Safety Program:

TxDOT’s policies and procedures relating to intellectual property are contained in the §201.205; ; and the , accessible online through the TxDOT network.

The Texas Behavioral Traffic Safety Program Grant Agreement General Terms and Conditions (described in Chapter 4, Section 3 of this manual) also covers intellectual property (see Article 20).