I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4104 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish and carry out a 

highway emergency responders safety grant program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2009 

Mr. ELLSWORTH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish and 

carry out a highway emergency responders safety grant 

program, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency Responders 

5 Highway Safety Act of 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. HIGHWAY EMERGENCY RESPONDERS SAFETY 

7 GRANT PROGRAM. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Transpor9 tation shall establish and carry out a highway emergency 


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1 responders safety grant program (in this section referred 

2 to as the ‘‘program’’). 

3 (b) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying out the pro4 gram, the Secretary is authorized to make grants to non5 profit and not-for-profit organizations (including organiza6 tions partnered with local government entities) for 

7 projects and activities— 

8 (1) to increase awareness of State laws that re9 quire a motorist to change lanes or reduce speed if 

10 passing a highway emergency responder, including 

11 the penalties for noncompliance with such laws; and 

12 (2) to provide highway emergency responders 

13 with training on the prevention of injuries and fa14 talities resulting from roadside collisions. 

15 (c) ADVISORY GROUP.—In carrying out the program, 

16 the Secretary shall establish a multidisciplinary advisory 

17 group to make recommendations relating to program im18 plementation, including recommendations with respect to 

19 the criteria for awarding grants under the program. The 

20 advisory group shall include, at a minimum, a member 

21 from a national organization representing each employ22 ment category specified in subsection (e). 

23 (d) INCIDENT TRACKING AND REPORT TO CON24 GRESS.— 


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1 (1) INCIDENT TRACKING.—The Secretary shall 

2 establish and administer an incident reporting sys3 tem to compile information with respect to roadside 

4 collisions throughout the United States involving 

5 highway emergency responders. 

6 (2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than one 

7 year after the date of enactment of this Act and an8 nually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Con9 gress a report on the number of highway emergency 

10 responders injured or killed in roadside collisions in 

11 each State during the year preceding such report 

12 and on the status and content of State laws relating 

13 to highway emergency responder safety. 

14 (e) HIGHWAY EMERGENCY RESPONDER DEFINED.— 

15 In this section, the term ‘‘highway emergency responder’’ 

16 means an individual who is any of the following: 

17 (1) A law enforcement officer. 

18 (2) A firefighter. 

19 (3) An emergency medical service provider. 

20 (4) A maintenance and operations worker. 

21 (5) A tow truck or recovery operator. 

22 (f) FUNDING.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

24 appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (other 

25 than the Mass Transit Account) to carry out this 


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1 section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 

2 through 2015. 

3 (2) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—Funds made 

4 available to carry out this section shall be available 

5 for obligation and administered in the same manner 

6 as if the funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of 

7 title 23, United States Code. 

Æ 


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