Stop Underrides Act 2.0
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7354
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Transportation and Public Works
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-05: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-03T08:07:55Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The "Stop Underrides Act 2.0" aims to reduce preventable deaths and injuries from underride crashes—where a smaller vehicle or person slides under a larger truck or trailer—by requiring stronger safety protections on commercial trucks. It seeks to make truck crashes more survivable, enhance overall road safety for passenger vehicles, trucking operations, and vulnerable road users (such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists), and address long-standing gaps in federal safety efforts.
Key Provisions
- Findings and Memorials: Recognizes underride crashes as a major safety threat, citing over 25,000 underride incidents and 31,500 fatalities since the 1960s, with limited progress by the Department of Transportation (DOT). It honors victims and survivors of such crashes and outlines goals to prevent deaths, ensure effective underride protections, and improve safety for all road users.
- Definitions: Adds or updates terms in U.S. law (Title 49 of the U.S. Code), including "comprehensive underride protection system" (all front, rear, or side guards on a truck), "front underride guard" (device to prevent sliding under a truck's front), "side underride guard" (device to block sliding under a truck's side), "single unit truck" (a large commercial truck without a trailer), "trailer," "semitrailer," "passenger motor vehicle," and "vulnerable road user."
- Rulemaking for Side Underride Guards: Requires the Secretary of Transportation to finalize new or updated federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) within 18 months of enactment. These standards mandate side underride guards on new trailers, semitrailers, and single unit trucks that:
- Prevent a passenger vehicle from intruding into its occupant space during perpendicular impacts up to 40 mph.
- Stop vulnerable road users from sliding under the truck's side.
- Incorporate aerodynamic designs to improve fuel efficiency.
Full compliance is required within 2 years of finalization, with reviews every 5 years to assess updates for better safety. Cost-benefit analyses must include saved lives, reduced injuries, and net fuel savings compared to voluntary adoption of similar devices.
- Advisory Committee on Underride Protection: Reconvenes the existing committee (from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) within 180 days. Amendments expand membership to 22 (adding representatives for families of passenger vehicle and vulnerable road user victims), require monthly virtual meetings plus annual in-person sessions until regulations are finalized, then annual in-person reviews. The committee must issue annual reports (instead of biennial) and terminates in 2031. Access to deliberative materials is ensured.
- Public Resources Website: DOT must create and maintain a public website as a central hub for underride information, including DOT research on front, rear, and side guards; links to the advisory committee database and rulemakings; victim stories; and crash data collection. Updates must occur at least quarterly.
- Studies and Reviews:
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Study: Within 1 year, DOT contracts NASEM to study front-of-truck crashes, focusing on threats to vulnerable road users. A report to Congress within 180 days includes recommendations for prevention devices (e.g., front override guards), efficacy assessments, and statistics on fatal/non-fatal crashes since 2010 (by vehicle type, road, and fatalities).
- Government Accountability Office (GAO) Study: Within 1 year, GAO examines implementation of the 2022 NHTSA rule on rear impact guards. A report to DOT and Congress within 180 days analyzes progress, suggests improvements, and recommends ways to prevent rear underrides.
- Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Review: NHTSA reviews its crash database within 1 year to identify underreported underride fatalities (using crash details, photos, and other data) and recommend better reporting by state/local law enforcement.
- Law Enforcement Training: Within 18 months, NHTSA develops free online training to help officers identify and document underride crashes accurately.
- Clarifications and Technical Updates: Ensures that withdrawing a 2023 proposed rule on side guards does not delay new requirements. Makes clerical changes to legal references.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Adds a new section (30130) to Title 49, U.S. Code, mandating side underride guards for the first time as a federal standard, building on voluntary or partial rear guard rules.
- Amends definitions in Title 49 to standardize terms like "side underride guard" and "vulnerable road user," filling gaps in prior law (e.g., from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act).
- Enhances the advisory committee by increasing frequency of meetings/reports, adding victim family representation, and extending its role post-rulemaking.
- Shifts from slow or stalled DOT actions (e.g., the 2023 proposed side guard rule) to firm deadlines for rulemaking, studies, and training, overriding potential withdrawals.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: DOT and NHTSA face increased responsibilities, including mandatory rulemakings, committee management, website maintenance, and studies, potentially straining resources but improving data-driven safety oversight. GAO and NASEM will conduct independent reviews, informing future policy.
- Citizens: Reduces underride-related deaths and injuries (potentially thousands annually), making roads safer for passenger vehicle drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists. Training improves crash reporting, leading to better statistics and enforcement.
- Trucking and Manufacturing: New trucks must include side guards, raising initial costs for manufacturers and fleets but offering fuel savings through aerodynamics and lower crash-related expenses (e.g., insurance, liability). Applies to new vehicles only, easing retrofitting burdens.
- International Relations: No direct impacts mentioned; focuses on U.S. domestic road safety standards.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Trucking Industry and Manufacturers: Required to install and maintain underride guards on new vehicles, affecting compliance costs and designs.
- Passenger Vehicle Drivers and Vulnerable Road Users: Primary beneficiaries through reduced crash severity and fatalities.
- Families of Crash Victims: Gain representation on the advisory committee and public acknowledgment via memorials and resources.
- DOT/NHTSA and Law Enforcement: Must implement rules, conduct reviews/training, and improve data collection.
- Researchers and Advocates: Access centralized resources and studies to advance underride prevention.
- General Public: Benefits from safer highways and quarterly-updated safety information.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens FMVSS under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act by mandating comprehensive underride protections, potentially increasing DOT enforcement and liability for non-compliant vehicles. Ensures timely action on stalled rulemakings, reducing administrative delays.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce and promote public safety (Commerce Clause), without raising privacy or free speech concerns.
- Political: Builds on prior laws (e.g., 2021 infrastructure act) with bipartisan safety focus, honoring victims to build public support. Deadlines and studies promote accountability but may face industry pushback on costs; termination of the advisory committee in 2031 provides a defined scope.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (9)
Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10], Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large], Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7], Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2], Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5]
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-05: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- 2026-02-04: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2026-02-04: Introduced in House
- 2026-02-04: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Stop Underrides Act 2.0 — issued 2026-02-04 — PDF (18 pages)