The U.S. Dept. of Transportation's (DoT) Disadvantaged Bus. Enterprise (DBE) program is designed to remedy the effects of current and past discrimination against small bus. owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and to foster equal opportunity in transportation contracting. This report provides info. on: important changes made to the DBE program since 1999; characteristics of DBEs and non-DBEs that receive DoT-assisted highway and transit contracts; evidence of discrim. and other factors that may limit DBEs' ability to compete for DoT-assisted contracts; and the impact of the DBE program on costs, competition, and job creation. Charts and tables.