Streamlining State Highway Safety Submissions Act
- Bill Number
- S. 2911
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Transportation and Public Works
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-09-18: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-16T17:34:33Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Streamlining State Highway Safety Submissions Act (S. 2911) aims to simplify the process for states to submit triennial highway safety plans by reducing redundant paperwork and integrating existing federal reviews. This supports highway safety programs funded under federal law, making compliance easier for states while maintaining safety standards.
Key Provisions
- Revision of Requirements: Within 180 days of the bill's enactment, the Secretary of Transportation must update rules for highway safety programs under Section 402 of Title 23, United States Code (which governs federal funding for state highway safety initiatives).
- Integration of Reviews: A triennial (every three years) management review conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, a federal agency focused on vehicle and road safety) can fulfill the information and documentation needs for a state's triennial highway safety plan submission under Subsection (k) of that section.
- Scope: This applies only to the period covered by the management review, streamlining submissions without altering the core safety planning requirements.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Current law requires states to submit detailed triennial highway safety plans to qualify for federal funding, often involving separate documentation from NHTSA's management reviews.
- The bill eliminates this duplication by allowing the NHTSA review to serve as the primary submission mechanism, reducing administrative overlap while preserving oversight of state programs.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Eases workload for NHTSA and the Department of Transportation by consolidating reviews, potentially speeding up approvals and reducing processing time for federal highway safety grants.
- On Citizens: Indirectly benefits drivers and road users through more efficient allocation of safety funds, which could lead to quicker implementation of programs like crash prevention or enforcement initiatives, though no direct changes to safety standards are made.
- On International Relations: No notable impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. highway safety funding and administration.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- States and State Agencies: Primary beneficiaries, as they submit the plans and will face less paperwork burden when applying for federal highway safety grants.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Gains efficiency in conducting and using management reviews to evaluate state programs.
- U.S. Department of Transportation: Responsible for implementing the revisions, affecting how it oversees federal funding distribution.
- Road Users and Safety Advocates: Indirectly involved, as streamlined processes could enhance the effectiveness of safety programs funded by about $500 million annually in federal grants.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Modifies administrative procedures under existing federal highway law (23 U.S.C. § 402) without expanding or restricting funding eligibility, ensuring compliance with congressional authority over interstate commerce and transportation safety.
- Constitutional: No significant issues; aligns with the federal government's spending power to condition grants on state reporting, avoiding any federalism concerns by simplifying rather than imposing new mandates.
- Political: A non-controversial efficiency measure introduced by Sen. Sheehy (R-MT) in the 119th Congress, likely to garner bipartisan support for reducing bureaucracy in transportation safety without altering budgets or priorities. Referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for further review.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2025-09-18: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 2025-09-18: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Streamlining State Highway Safety Submissions Act — issued 2025-09-18 — PDF (2 pages)