The Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to take up a six-year highway policy measure on July 15 that would establish certain reforms at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act would require FMCSA to respond to petitions for review of regulations or of new rulemakings, as well as to maintain updated records about regulatory guidance.
The bill would call for reforming the agency’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability, or CSA, program to ensure better accuracy of the scoring information it provides. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General, as well as the Government Accountability Office have recently raised concerns about CSA.
The bill also would look to incentivize technology investments aimed at improving truck safety. It would look to boost safety measures for passenger railways and cars. And, the measure includes language from a committee-passed bill that would require the director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to establish a port performance statistics program.
“As the Senate works to consider a multi-year plan to fund highway and other infrastructure projects, we also have the opportunity to enact reforms for the Department of Transportation that are vital for our economy and the safety of travelers,” said committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.).
Thune, along with Republican Sens. Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Jerry Moran of Kansas are the bill’s sponsors. Upon the committee’s approval, the bill would be combined with a six-year transportation reauthorization measure recently reported out of the Senate Environment and Public Works panel.
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