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 Maryland Department of Transportation $713,966.30 on October 1, 2025, under the Section 405(B) Occupant Protection Grant program (CFDA 20.616, National Priority Safety Programs). The award funds state occupant protection programs designed to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes through countermeasure strategies approved in Maryland's triennial highway safety plan and annual grant application. Maryland qualifies for this funding by meeting statutory requirements for seat belt use categories and is apportioned funding through a formula. Place of performance is Glen Burnie, Maryland. The period of performance runs through September 30, 2029. Maryland will execute the work through the Office of Planning and Finance within the state highway safety office, implementing projects aligned with identified countermeasure strategies to support occupant protection initiatives and reduce roadside fatalities.

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.