Title: SAFE TO DRIVE Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
States Afforded Funding Extensions To Oppose Driving Recklessly In Vehicular Engagements Act or the SAFE TO DRIVE Act
This bill requires the Department of Transportation to use up to 25% of the amounts available for national priority safety program grants to award grants to any state that certifies it has enacted a distracted driving statute that (1) is applicable to drivers of all ages, (2) makes a violation of the statute a primary offense, and (3) prohibits texting or all non-navigational viewing of a personal wireless communications device.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 195 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 195

  To amend title 23, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
Transportation to provide States applying for distracted driving grants 
 an explanation of the eligibility decision with respect to the State, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 3, 2021

Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 23, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
Transportation to provide States applying for distracted driving grants 
 an explanation of the eligibility decision with respect to the State, 
                        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 ``States Afforded Funding Extensions 
To Oppose Driving Recklessly In Vehicular Engagements Act'' or the 
``SAFE TO DRIVE Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL PRIORITY SAFETY PROGRAMS.

    Section 405(e) of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following:
            ``(6) Additional distracted driving grants.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), 
                the Secretary shall use up to 25 percent of the amounts 
                available for grants under this subsection to award 
                grants to any State that--
                            ``(i) is otherwise ineligible for a grant 
                        under this subsection; and
                            ``(ii) certifies that the State has enacted 
                        a statute that--
                                    ``(I) is applicable to drivers of 
                                all ages;
                                    ``(II) makes a violation of the 
                                statute a primary offense; and
                                    ``(III) prohibits--
                                            ``(aa) texting; or
                                            ``(bb) non-navigational 
                                        viewing of a personal wireless 
                                        communications device.
                    ``(B) Use of grant funds.--Notwithstanding 
                paragraph (5), amounts received by a State under 
                subparagraph (A) may be used for activities related to 
                the enforcement of distracted driving laws, including 
                for public information and awareness purposes.'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (10); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following:
            ``(9) Determinations of grant eligibility.--
                    ``(A) Explanation of determination.--In making an 
                eligibility determination in granting or denying an 
                application of a State for a grant under this 
                subsection, the Secretary shall provide each applicant 
                State with an explanation of that determination, 
                including an explanation of whether each section of the 
                statute submitted with the application met or did not 
                meet the requirements for a grant under this 
                subsection.
                    ``(B) Availability of determination.--Not later 
                than 60 days after granting or denying an application 
                for a grant under this subsection, the Secretary shall 
                make the explanation under subparagraph (A) publicly 
                available on the website of the Department of 
                Transportation.''.
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