Definitions

The definitions provided below are provided to assist the reader with terms used in this manual. Some of these terms may be defined differently than those used in the Code of Federal Regulations. This has been done for clarification purposes. However, the reader should note that the definitions provided here are consistent with the intentions of the Pre-Award and Post-Delivery Audits of Rolling Stock Purchases Rule and the Buy America Requirements Rule.

Analyst – A representative of the recipient (either working directly for the recipient or contracted by the recipient)—not an employee, or an agent, of the proposed rail vehicle manufacturer (in the case of the pre-award review) or the selected rail vehicle manufacturer (in the case of the post-delivery review).

Buy America Rule – The "Buy America Requirements" Regulation, Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 661.

Component – Any article, material, or supply, that is directly incorporated into an end product at the final assembly location.

DOT – The United States Department of Transportation.

End product – Any item to be acquired by a recipient, such as a railcar.

Final assembly – The bringing together of a significant number of individual components, whether manufactured or unmanufactured, for the purpose of creating an end product.

FTA – Federal Transit Administration, an agency of DOT.

Manufacture – The transformation of a component or group of subcomponents for the purpose of adding value to, improving, or creating a functionally different component.

Performance test – An operational test for the rail vehicle when it is tested on actual track to evaluate its performance.

Post-delivery – The period during the procurement process beginning with the signing of a formal contract with the selected contractor. It includes the period of vehicle manufacturing, inspection, testing, and delivery. It ends with title transfer or the placement of the rail vehicles into revenue service, whichever is first.

Pre-award – The period during the procurement process before the recipient enters into a formal contract with the supplier.

Pre-Award and Post-Delivery Rule – The "Pre-Award and Post-Delivery Audits of Rolling Stock Purchases" Regulation, Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 663.

Purchaser – The recipient.

Rail vehicle – Transit vehicles, such as railcars, locomotives, trolley cars, and light rail vehicles

Recipient – A receiver of Federal financial assistance from the FTA.

Revenue service – The operation of vehicles for the transportation of passengers as anticipated by the recipient.

Review – An analysis conducted by the recipient that will result in a file containing the necessary certifications of compliance, including the Buy America certification, purchaser’s requirements certification, and FMVSS certification.

Rolling stock – Transit vehicles, such as buses, vans, cars, railcars, locomotives, trolley cars and buses, ferry boats, and vehicles used on guideways and incline planes.

STAA – The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-424, January 6, 1983).

Subcomponent – Any article, material, or supply that is one step removed from a component.
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