((a)) ** .—** The Secretary of Transportation shall establish as soon as practicable and maintain a National Driver Register to assist chief driver licensing officials of participating States in exchanging information about the motor vehicle driving records of individuals. The Register shall contain an index of the information reported to the Secretary under . The Register shall enable the Secretary (electronically or, until all States can participate electronically, by United States mail)—

((1)) to receive information submitted under by the chief driver licensing official of a State of record;

((2)) to receive a request for information made by the chief driver licensing official of a participating State under ;

((3)) to refer the request to the chief driver licensing official of a State of record; and

((4)) in response to the request, to relay information provided by a chief driver licensing official of a State of record to the chief driver licensing official of a participating State, without interception of the information.

((b)) ** .—** The Secretary is not responsible for the accuracy of information relayed to the chief driver licensing official of a participating State. However, the Secretary shall maintain the Register in a way that ensures against inadvertent alteration of information during a relay. The Secretary shall make continual improvements to modernize the Register’s data processing system.

((c)) ** .—**

((1)) The Secretary shall provide by regulation for the orderly transition from the register maintained under the Act of (, ), as restated by section 401 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (, ), to the Register maintained under this chapter.

((2))

((A)) The Secretary shall delete from the Register a report or information that was compiled under the Act of (, ), as restated by section 401 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (, ), and transferred to the Register, after the earlier of—

((i)) the date the State of record removes it from the State’s file;

((ii)) 7 years after the date the report or information is entered in the Register; or

((iii)) the date a fully electronic Register system is established.

((B)) The report or information shall be disposed of under chapter 33 of title 44.

((3)) If the chief driver licensing official of a participating State finds that information provided for inclusion in the Register is erroneous or is related to a conviction of a traffic offense that subsequently is reversed, the official immediately shall notify the Secretary. The Secretary shall provide for the immediate deletion of the information from the Register.

((d)) ** .—** In carrying out this chapter, the Secretary shall assign personnel necessary to ensure the effective operation of the Register.

((e))

((1)) ** .—** The Secretary may enter into an agreement with an organization that represents the interests of the States to manage, administer, and operate the National Driver Register’s computer timeshare and user assistance functions. If the Secretary decides to enter into such an agreement, the Secretary shall ensure that the management of these functions is compatible with this chapter and the regulations issued to implement this chapter.

((2)) ** .—** Any transfer of the National Driver Register’s computer timeshare and user assistance functions to an organization that represents the interests of the States shall begin only after a determination is made by the Secretary that all States are participating in the National Driver Register’s “Problem Driver Pointer System” (the system used by the Register to effect the exchange of motor vehicle driving records) and that the system is functioning properly.

((3)) ** .—** Any agreement entered into under this subsection shall include a provision for a transition period sufficient to allow the States to make the budgetary and legislative changes the States may need to pay fees charged by the organization representing their interests for their use of the National Driver Register’s computer timeshare and user assistance functions. During this transition period, the Secretary shall continue to fund these transferred functions.

((4)) ** .—** The total of the fees charged by the organization representing the interests of the States in any fiscal year for the use of the National Driver Register’s computer timeshare and user assistance functions shall not exceed the total cost to the organization of performing these functions in such fiscal year.

((5)) ** .—** Nothing in this subsection may be construed to diminish, limit, or otherwise affect the authority of the Secretary to carry out this chapter.