((a)) ** .—** Not later than , the Secretary shall make available to the public on a Department of Transportation website a report that—

((1)) assesses the status of dedicated short-range communications technology and applications developed through research and development;

((2)) analyzes the known and potential gaps in short-range communications technology and applications;

((3)) defines a recommended implementation path for dedicated short-range communications technology and applications that—

((A)) is based on the assessment described in paragraph (1); and

((B)) takes into account the analysis described in paragraph (2);

((4)) includes guidance on the relationship of the proposed deployment of dedicated short-range communications to the National ITS Architecture and ITS Standards; and

((5)) ensures competition by not preferencing the use of any particular frequency for vehicle to infrastructure operations.

((b)) ** .—** The Secretary shall enter into agreements with the National Research Council and an independent third party with subject matter expertise for the review of the report described in subsection (a).