Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act
Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act
Plain Language Summary
# Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act Summary **What the Bill Would Do:** This bill would create a federal grant program through the Department of Transportation to fund new and improved public parking facilities for commercial trucks. The grants would help states, cities, tribal governments, and other local authorities build or upgrade truck parking areas, particularly along major highways and near freight facilities. Any parking facilities built with these grants would be required to remain free for truck drivers to use. **Who It Affects:** The bill primarily affects truck drivers and the trucking industry by potentially expanding safe parking options.
It also impacts state and local governments that could apply for federal funding to build these facilities, and indirectly affects the general public through improved highway safety (since adequate parking helps prevent tired drivers from operating unsafely). **Key Provisions:** The DOT would award competitive grants only to projects in areas facing a genuine truck parking shortage. Before receiving funding, eligible entities must consult with trucking companies, drivers, safety officials, and private parking providers. Importantly, any public parking facility built with grant money must remain free—drivers cannot be charged to use it. **Current Status:** The bill is currently in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives.
CRS Official Summary
Truck Parking Safety Improvement ActThis bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide competitive grants for projects that provide public parking for commercial motor vehicles and improve the safety of commercial motor vehicle drivers. States, metropolitan planning organizations, tribal governments, and local governments are eligible for these grants.The grants must be used for projects on federal-aid highways or a facility with reasonable access to such a highway or a freight facility.A grant recipient may not charge a fee to a commercial motor vehicle driver to access a public parking facility that is constructed, opened, maintained, or improved with a grant under this program.In providing grants, DOT must determine thatthere is a shortage of commercial motor vehicle parking capacity in the project's corridor;the eligible entity has consulted motor carriers, commercial motor vehicle drivers, public safety officials, and private providers of commercial motor vehicle parking regarding the project;the project will likely increase the availability or utilization of commercial motor vehicle parking, facilitate the efficient movement of freight, or improve highway safety, traffic congestion, and air quality; andthe eligible entity has demonstrated the ability to provide for the facility's maintenance and operation.To the maximum extent practicable, DOT must select grant projects that maximize the geographic dispersion of new commercial motor vehicle parking capacity across the United States.
Latest Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.