Determine Feasibility of Alternative Tests for the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST)

Action Code: S Classification Code: AS12, Transportation R&D Services; Surface transportation, public transit, and rail; Applied Research Solicitation: 693JJ923RQ000834 Agency/Office: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Location: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration HQ NAICS Code: 541720, Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities, $28.0M Point of Contract: Vincent Lynch, Contracting Officer, ph(202) 366-9568 Title: Determine Feasibility of Alternative Tests for the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) Description(s): The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice to identify potential qualified Small Business (SB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), 8(a) Certified SDB, HUBZone SB, SDVOSB, or WOSB concerns that may be interested in and capable of performing the work described herein to increase the efficiency, completeness, and consistency of DRE officers individual efforts, and the efforts of law enforcement agencies by evaluating the efforts under NHTSA's existing project, Strategies to Improve DRE Officers Performance and Law Enforcement Agencies DRE Program. NHTSA welcomes all qualified certified Small Business concerns with the appropriate NAICS Code and past experience to submit their Corporate Capability Statements that demonstrate their ability to successfully accomplish the goals of the proposed project as listed below. In addition to soliciting on the open market, the government may decide to later limit its competition to those qualified GSA OASIS or MAS Schedule holding contractors. NHTSA does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses to this notice or otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made; and no formal evaluation of the information received will be conducted by NHTSA. NHTSA may; however later on issue a Request for Proposals (RFP). However, should such a requirement fail to materialize, no basis for claims against NHTSA shall arise as a result of a response to this notice. BACKGROUND: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). NHTSA's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce traffic-related health care and other economic costs. The agency develops, promotes and implements effective educational, engineering and enforcement programs with the goal of ending preventable tragedies and reducing economic costs associated with vehicle use and highway travel. Roadside tests of alcohol impairment are often used by police officers as part of Driving While Intoxicated/Impaired (DWI)[1] arrests. During a typical investigation, an officer, who has reason to believe a driver is impaired, will administer a series of tests to the driver. These tests serve to confirm the initial suspicion and may provide probable cause to arrest the driver for DWI. Also, the driver's performance on these tests is sometimes a critical part of the evidence presented in court to support the DWI charge. NHTSA developed the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST),[2] which is widely used today. It was initially calibrated to assist officers in determining whether the blood alcohol concentration (BAC[3]) of a person stopped for suspicion of DWI was at or above .10 g/dL.[4] As states began lowering illegal BAC limits to .08, NHTSA conducted further investigation into the SFST to examine the validity at .08.[5] The SFST program is now managed by NHTSA and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, who conduct training for officers. The three tests which comprise the SFST, when conducted together, provide a proven method to determine whether a person is likely above .08. Tests may be omitted, with reduced accuracy. NHTSA is now interested in exploring whether other individual tests may be beneficial for use in atypical situations, or with certain populations, when an officer cannot administer the SFST. For example, it may be difficult in some situations (such as the marine environment), and for some people (with weight or mobility issues) to perform the walk and turn and the one-leg-stand. For individuals with medical conditions that affect eye movement, another test may provide more meaningful results than horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN). Law enforcement agencies and others in the criminal justice system look to NHTSA for information to improve the DWI arrest process, including determining whether a suspect is likely to be at or above the illegal limit. This study will provide information about a broader range of alcohol impairment measures that could be used when an officer is conducting an investigation of a potentially alcohol-impaired suspect. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this project is to examine the feasibility of additional tests for determining whether a person is at or above the illegal BAC limit using tests that avoid the need for the suspect to stand, and (likely separate tests that) do not involve tracking a suspect's eye movement. These tests must be accurate, valid, and reliable and be easy to administer, and feasible for use by law enforcement officers in interactions with possible impaired drivers. Capabilities: The corporate capability statement must address the capabilities necessary to accomplish the scope outlined above as well as the additional tasks listed in the attached draft SOW. Format of Corporate Capabilities Statement: Any interested qualified Small Business (SB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), 8(a) Certified SDB, HUBZone SB, SDVOSB, or WOSB concerns should submit their Corporate Capability Statement, which demonstrates the firm's ability and past experience in no more than 10 pages to perform the key requirements described above to the identified NHTSA point of contact listed herein. Any proprietary information should be marked as such. All respondents are asked to certify the type and size of their business organization is in-line with the requirements of this Sources Sought Notice, and must be received no later than the closing date of this notice. [1] DWI will be used in throughout this task order. Some states refer to their impaired driving charges as driving under the influence (DUI), operating while impaired (OWI), or similar offenses. [2] The SFST consists of the Walk and Turn Test, One Leg Stand, and a measure of horizontal gaze nystagmus. See Anderson, T., Schweitz, R., & Snyder, M. (1983). Field evaluation of a behavioral test battery for DWI (DOT HS 806 475). Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation. [3] BAC refers to either blood alcohol concentration, stated as grams per 100 milliliters of blood, or breath alcohol concentration, stated as grams per 210 liters of breath. [4] Grams per deciliter. In this task order, when referring to a BAC level we are omitting the g/dL. [5] Stuster, J., & Burns, M. (1998). Validation of the Standardized Field Sobriety Test Battery at BACs below .10 percent (DOT HS 808 839). Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation.