To amend title 23, United States Code, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with respect to vehicle roadside crashes, work zone safety, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- H.R. 2992
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Transportation and Public Works
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-04-24: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-24T08:06:54Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
This bill, H.R. 2992, aims to enhance road safety by addressing crashes involving disabled vehicles on the roadside and incidents in highway work zones. It expands existing federal programs to better protect drivers, pedestrians, workers, and first responders through improved data collection, awareness campaigns, and strategic planning.
Key Provisions
- Amendments to Highway Safety Programs: Updates the Highway Safety Improvement Program (under title 23, U.S. Code) to explicitly include protections for occupants and pedestrians near disabled vehicles in funding and planning for safety improvements.
- Enhanced Injury Data Collection: Modifies the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to require tracking of roadside deaths and work zone deaths in national injury health data.
- Expanded Awareness Campaigns: Broadens the review of "Move Over or Slow Down" laws (which require drivers to slow down or change lanes near emergency vehicles) to cover situations involving disabled vehicles, highway workers, and equipment in work zones.
- Disabled Vehicle Crash Working Group: Directs the Secretary of Transportation, in coordination with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other agencies, to form a group with industry experts, high-risk community representatives (e.g., truckers, first responders), state officials, insurers, health experts, law enforcement, and vehicle manufacturers. The group's duties include:
- Collecting and publishing detailed data on crashes involving disabled vehicles.
- Developing a strategic plan to reduce fatal and non-fatal injuries.
- Promoting better data sharing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including adoption of uniform crash reporting standards (Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria).
- Providing annual updates on awareness efforts and results.
- Work Zone Crash Working Group: Establishes a similar group, involving OSHA, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), contractors, engineers, labor unions, traffic safety professionals, and state transportation officials. Duties mirror those of the disabled vehicle group but focus on work zone crashes, including strategies to improve the use of safety contingency funds and data sharing with NHTSA.
- Annual Reporting on Work Zone Safety Funds: Requires the FHWA Administrator to submit yearly reports to Congress on the use of work zone safety contingency funds (under title 23, U.S. Code), detailing:
- Which states have used these funds and how many.
- Funding amounts allocated by each state.
- Recommendations for nationwide improvements.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Broadened Scope of Safety Protections: Inserts language into title 23, U.S. Code, to extend highway safety funding and planning from just pedestrians to also cover people near disabled vehicles, closing a gap in protections for roadside breakdowns.
- Expanded Data and Awareness Requirements: Amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to include specific tracking of roadside and work zone fatalities, and widens the focus of public awareness reviews under "Move Over" laws to encompass more scenarios beyond emergency vehicles.
- New Working Groups and Reporting: Introduces mandatory multi-agency working groups for data analysis and planning—previously absent—and requires annual congressional reports on contingency funds, which were not previously mandated at a national level.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Increases responsibilities for the Department of Transportation (DOT), FHWA, NHTSA, and OSHA to convene groups, collect data, and report to Congress, potentially leading to more coordinated federal-state efforts and better allocation of safety funds.
- On Citizens and Road Users: Could reduce injuries and deaths from roadside and work zone crashes by promoting safer driving behaviors, improved infrastructure, and targeted awareness, benefiting everyday drivers, pedestrians, and those with vehicle breakdowns.
- On Workers and Responders: Enhances protections for highway construction workers, first responders, and traffic incident managers, potentially lowering occupational risks in high-traffic areas.
- No Direct International Relations Impact: The bill focuses on domestic U.S. highway safety and does not address foreign policy or cross-border issues.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal and State Agencies: DOT, FHWA, NHTSA, OSHA, and state transportation departments, which must implement new data and reporting requirements.
- Road Users and Communities: Drivers, pedestrians, truckers, and residents in high-risk areas, who may see safer roads through expanded protections.
- Highway Workers and Responders: Construction workers, engineers, first responders, and traffic safety professionals, directly targeted by work zone provisions.
- Industry and Experts: Insurers, vehicle manufacturers, labor unions, medical/public health experts, and law enforcement, involved in working groups for data and strategy development.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal Implications: Strengthens enforcement of existing safety laws by mandating uniform data standards (e.g., Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria), which could lead to more consistent state-level reporting and litigation support in crash-related cases. No new penalties are introduced, but it promotes voluntary adoption of best practices.
- Constitutional Implications: Aligns with the federal government's authority over interstate highways (under the Commerce Clause) without infringing on state rights, as it encourages rather than mandates state actions like fund usage.
- Political Implications: Bipartisan sponsorship (introduced by representatives from both parties) signals broad support for infrastructure safety, potentially influencing future funding debates in transportation committees. It builds on the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, emphasizing data-driven, collaborative approaches over regulatory overhauls.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (9)
Rep. Yakym, Rudy [R-IN-2], Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1], Rep. Bresnahan, Robert [R-PA-8], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3], Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3], Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]
Recent Actions
- 2025-04-24: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- 2025-04-24: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2025-04-24: Introduced in House
- 2025-04-24: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- To amend title 23, United States Code, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with respect to vehicle roadside crashes, work zone safety, and for other purposes. — issued 2025-04-24 — PDF (5 pages)