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 Department of Public Safety of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands $123,131.44 on October 1, 2025, under the Section 405(B) Occupant Protection Grant program (CFDA 20.616, National Priority Safety Programs).

The award funds occupant protection program activities in Saipan, CNMI, designed to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes. The Department of Public Safety, a territorial highway safety office, implements projects using countermeasure strategies detailed in its approved triennial highway safety plan and annual grant application. Funding is apportioned to qualifying states and territories that meet statutory requirements for high or low seat belt use categories and is available through September 30, 2029.

The Section 405(B) program supports state occupant protection initiatives consistent with 23 C.F.R. § 1300.21(f). Recipients submit annual grant applications by August 1, with NHTSA providing up to 60 days for review and approval. Federal reimbursement occurs on claims submitted in vouchers covering incurred costs. Project sponsors must retain records for three years following submission of final expenditure reports and supporting documents.

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.