Senate Votes to Proceed on Highway Bill
WASHINGTON — The Senate on July 22 agreed to take up a six-year highway measure that would require the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to remove Compliance, Safety, and Accountability scores from public access until a comprehensive report and corrective plan about the scores is published.
The Republican-backed legislation would require the agency to commission a Transportation Research Board study designed to analyze the agency’s CSA program, which is used to assign Safety Management System (SMS) scores to commercial motor carriers.
The SMS scores are deemed flawed by an overwhelming portion of the trucking industry.
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Aside from seeking to reform aspects of FMCSA, the expansive bill would reauthorize freight, transit, and automotive programs, among other provisions, for six years. Also, the measure’s first three years would be funded.
Republican floor managers have indicated they plan to proceed quickly with the measure in the hope of reporting it to the House before highway funding authority expires July 31.
Several high-ranking GOP senators told reporters they expect the GOP-led House to consider a Senate-passed measure before the July authorization deadline.
“I think there might be a more favorable reception to that than people might initially expect from the House,” Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) told Transport Topics on July 22, noting the Senate bill addresses numerous highway safety concerns championed by Democrats. The measure also does not raise taxes on fuels. Many Republicans oppose raising such taxes to keep the trust fund sustainable.
But the bill's passage remains uncertain. Many Senate Democrats already have objected to the bill, citing concerns over its funding levels and highway and rail safety provisions. The bill also could be delayed if senators insist on attaching non-transportation policy items to it.
Last week, the House passed an $8 billion highway funding patch, enough to keep the Highway Trust Fund operating through mid-December. House GOP leaders have said they do not intend to consider a Senate-passed measure before July 31.
