Section 405(b) occupant protection grant (23 C.F.R. § 1300.21; 23 U.S.C. § 405(b)) ― grant to support certain costs of state occupant protection programs consistent with 23 C.F.R. § 1300.21(f)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the Kansas Department of Transportation $730,133.86 on October 1, 2025, under the National Priority Safety Programs formula grant (CFDA 20.616), specifically the Section 405(b) Occupant Protection Grant program.

The funding supports costs of Kansas's occupant protection program, including problem identification, public participation and engagement, performance measure development, and countermeasure strategies designed to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes. Kansas qualified for this funding by meeting statutory requirements for seat belt use categories and submitting an approved Triennial Highway Safety Plan and Annual Grant Application detailing planned projects aligned with identified countermeasure strategies.

The award obligates $730,133.86 with a period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2029. Work is performed in Topeka, Kansas. The Section 405(b) program apportions funds to states and territorial highway safety offices using a statutory formula based on approved safety plans. NHTSA has up to 60 days to review and approve plans and grant applications, which are submitted annually by August 1. The federal share is reimbursed on claims submitted in vouchers covering incurred costs, with all participants using the Electronic Transfer of Funds method. Recipients must retain records for three years following submission of a final expenditure report and retain all project contract documents, financial records, and supporting documents pending resolution of audit findings.

Section 405(b) funding is available to qualifying states that meet statutory requirements for a high or low seat belt use categories. These funds are apportioned using statutory apportionment formula. These funds are provided to the state and territorial highway safety offices based on an approved triennial highway safety plan that details problem identification, public participation and engagement, performance measures, countermeasure strategies for programming funds and an approved annual grant application that details planned projects using identified countermeasure strategies for programming funds to help reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes.