Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act

To amend title 23, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to set aside certain funds to provide parking for commercial motor vehicles on the Federal-aid highway system, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act 2. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that it should be a national priority to address the shortage of parking for commercial motor vehicles on the Federal-aid highway system to improve highway safety. 3. Parking for commercial motor vehicles (a) In general Chapter 1 177. Parking for commercial motor vehicles (a) Grant authority Subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary shall make grants under this section, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for projects to provide parking for commercial motor vehicles and improve the safety of commercial motor vehicle operators. (b) Applications To be eligible for a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. (c) Application contents An application submitted under subsection (b) shall contain— (1) a description of the proposed project; and (2) any other information that the Secretary may require. (d) Eligible entities The following entities shall be eligible to receive amounts under this section: (1) A State. (2) A metropolitan planning organization. (3) A unit of local government. (4) A political subdivision of a State or local government carrying out responsibilities relating to commercial motor vehicle parking. (5) A Tribal government or a consortium of Tribal governments. (6) A multistate or multijurisdictional group of entities described in paragraphs (1) through (5). (e) Private sector participation An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section may partner with a private entity to carry out an eligible project under this section. (f) Eligible projects (1) In general An entity may use a grant awarded under this section for a project described in paragraph (2) that is on— (A) a Federal-aid highway; or (B) a facility with reasonable access to— (i) a Federal-aid highway; or (ii) a freight facility. (2) Projects described A project described in this paragraph is a project to— (A) construct safety rest areas (as such term is defined in section 120(c)) that include parking for commercial motor vehicles; (B) construct additional commercial motor vehicle parking capacity— (i) adjacent to private commercial truck stops and travel plazas; (ii) within the boundaries of, or adjacent to, a publicly owned freight facility, including a port terminal operated by a public authority; and (iii) at existing facilities, including inspection and weigh stations and park-and-ride locations; (C) open existing weigh stations, safety rest areas, and park-and-ride facilities to commercial motor vehicle parking; (D) construct or make capital improvements to existing public commercial motor vehicle parking facilities to expand parking utilization and availability, including at seasonal facilities; (E) identify, promote, and manage the availability of publicly and privately provided commercial motor vehicle parking, such as through the use of intelligent transportation systems; (F) improve the safety of commercial motor vehicle operators at parking facilities as part of a project described in subparagraphs (A) through (D); or (G) improve a parking facility, including through truck stop electrification systems, as defined in section 101(a), and other improvements determined appropriate by the Secretary, as part of a project described in subparagraphs (A) through (D). (3) Publicly accessible parking Commercial motor vehicle parking constructed or opened with a grant under this section shall be open and accessible to all commercial motor vehicle operators. (g) Use of funds (1) In general An eligible entity may use a grant under this section for— (A) development phase activities, including planning, feasibility analysis, benefit-cost analysis, environmental review, preliminary engineering and design work, and other preconstruction activities necessary to advance a project under this section; and (B) construction and operational improvements. (2) Limitation (A) In general An eligible entity may use not more than 25 percent of the amount of a grant under this section for activities described in paragraph (1)(A). (B) Existing facilities Not more than 10 percent of the amounts available for each fiscal year for grants under the program may be used for projects described under subsection (f)(2)(E) that solely identify, promote, and manage the availability of existing commercial motor vehicle parking. (h) Selection criteria In making grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to applications that demonstrate— (1) a shortage of commercial motor vehicle parking capacity in the corridor in which the project is located; (2) consultation with motor carriers, commercial motor vehicle operators, public safety officials, and private providers of commercial motor vehicle parking; (3) that the project will likely— (A) increase the availability or utilization of commercial motor vehicle parking; (B) facilitate the efficient movement of freight; and (C) improve highway safety, traffic congestion, and air quality; and (4) the ability to provide for the maintenance and operation of the facility. (i) Federal share Notwithstanding section 120, the Federal share for a project carried out under this subsection shall be up to 100 percent. (j) Treatment of projects (1) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, projects funded under this section shall be treated as projects on a Federal-aid highway under this chapter. (2) Period of availability Funds appropriated for projects under this section shall remain available for a period of 3 years after the last day of the fiscal year in which the funds are made available. (k) Prohibition on charging fees To be eligible for a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall agree that no fees will be charged to a commercial motor vehicle to access parking constructed, opened, or improved with a grant under this section. (l) Notification of congress Not less than 3 business days before making a grant for a project under this section, the Secretary shall notify, in writing, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Environment and Public Works of the Senate of the intention to award such a grant. (m) Survey and comparative assessment (1) In general Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this subsection, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with appropriate State motor carrier safety personnel, motor carriers, State departments of transportation, and private providers of commercial motor vehicle parking shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Environment and Public Works of the Senate a report that— (A) evaluates the availability of adequate parking and rest facilities, taking into account both private and public facilities, for commercial motor vehicles engaged in interstate transportation; (B) evaluates the effectiveness of the projects funded under this section in improving access to commercial motor vehicle parking; (C) evaluates the ability of entities receiving a grant under this section to sustain the operation of parking facilities constructed with funds provided under this section; and (D) reports on the progress being made to provide adequate commercial motor vehicle parking facilities in the State. (2) Results The Secretary shall make the report and subsequent updated reports under paragraph (1) available to the public on the website of the Department of Transportation. (3) Alignment of reports In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall consider the results of the commercial motor vehicle parking facilities assessments of the States under section 70202 of title 49 and seek to align the contents of the report and reporting deadlines under paragraph (1) with the requirements of such section. (n) Commercial motor vehicle defined In this section, the term commercial motor vehicle . (b) Clerical amendment The analysis for chapter 1 177. Parking for commercial motor vehicles. . 4. Authorization of Appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated out of the general fund of the Treasury for projects for commercial vehicle parking under section 177 of title 23, United States Code (as added by this Act)— (1) $175,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; (2) $185,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; (3) $195,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; and (4) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2026. 5. Prohibition on use of funds None of the funds made available to carry out the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, or the amendments made by such Act, may be used for electric vehicle or electric truck charging. December 13, 2022 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act This bill authorizes appropriations through FY2026 to the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide parking for commercial motor vehicles on the federal-aid highway system. DOT must provide competitive grants to states, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, and tribal governments for projects that improve the safety of commercial motor vehicle operators and provide parking for commercial motor vehicles on federal-aid highways or on a facility with reasonable access to such a highway or a freight facility. The federal share for a project carried out in accordance with the bill shall be up to 100%.