Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act
Bill: H.R.2187 | Sponsor: Rep. Bost, Mike (R-IL)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

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%.

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.


 


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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Truck Parking Safety Improvement 
Act''.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 3. PARKING FOR COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 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' has the meaning given such term in section 
31132 of title 49.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended by adding after the item relating to 
section 176 the following:

``177. Parking for commercial motor vehicles.''.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 448

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 2187

                          [Report No. 117-622]

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