Senate Commerce Panel Advances 6-Year Transportation Bill That Includes FMCSA Reform
WASHINGTON — The Senate Commerce Committee on July 15 reported to the floor a six-year bill that would seek to reform parts of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The panel voted 13-11 along party lines to advance legislation that also addressed safety policies across freight transportation modes.
Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), the bill’s lead sponsor, said the measure ensures there is “much needed” safety reforms in the trucking sector and freight and passenger rail systems, as well as in the automotive industry.
He added that marking up the bill was in response to the “request of a number of a Democratic colleagues made on a June 16 letter asking that this committee report a bill to allow consideration of a multiyear bill on the floor by July 20.”
Overall, the Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act would require FMCSA to commission a study from the Transportation Research Board to analyze the agency’s Compliance, Safety, and Accountability program. CSA is used to assign safety management system scores to commercial motor carriers.
The bill also would require FMCSA to remove SMS data alerts, scores and percentiles from public access until the Transportation Research Board’s report and corrective action plan have been published, and the recommendations completed.
The bill also would authorize the secretary of Transportation to establish a six-year pilot program that would allow states to enter into interstate agreements to allow for appropriately licensed drivers between 18 and 21 to operate commercially along interstates. And the measure would allow industry use of hair testing for certain pre-employment screenings.
Prior to approving the legislation, the panel rejected several amendments offered by Democrats seeking to boost federal oversight of the commercial freight industry.
The bill heads to the full Senate, where leaders are expected to combine it with a six-year transportation reauthorization measure recently reported out of the Senate Environment and Public Works panel.
Expanded coverage of this markup will be available in the July 20 edition of Transport Topics.
