Ahead of a markup on the Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th Act (BUILD America 250 Act) in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on May 21, 2026, Advocates has released the following Safety Scorecard:
SAFETY SCORECARD
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Markup of the
BUILD America 250 Act, May 21, 2026
Vital changes are needed to improve safety in the bill language. Absent these changes, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is opposed.
Anti Safety Provisions
| Secs. 1301, 1307, 1307, 4008, 4012, 5210, 5402 | Transportation Rulemaking Committees (TRCs) should not be delegated authority which supplants the responsibilities to fulfill the mission of transportation safety agencies. Removing Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requirements further undermines the transparency of these Committees. | OPPOSE |
| Sec. 1302 & 5404 | Larger and heavier vehicles are more damaging to roadway and bridge infrastructure and more dangerous in crashes. Exemptions from truck weight limits for tow and recovery vehicles, for roadways and certain vehicles in AR, IA and LA, for hydrogen fuel and battery powered vehicles, logging trucks and CMVs hauling dry bulk goods, and a width exemption for ACMVs should not be allowed. | OPPOSE |
| Sec. 4002 | Grant consolidation should not remove incentives for states to enact traffic safety laws targeting the leading crash contributors (23 U.S. Code Sec. 405 National Priority Safety Program). Research, data and experience demonstrate that these laws prevent crashes, save lives, minimize injuries and reduce associated costs. |
OPPOSE |
| Sec. 5104 | Extends the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) Program to FY 2031 to permit teen truckers, ages 18-20, to operate a CMV in interstate commerce. Truck drivers under the age of 21 are anywhere from 4 to 6 times more likely to be in a fatal crash according to studies of intrastate truck drivers. | OPPOSE |
| Sec. 5105 | Exacerbates truck driver fatigue, a known and documented safety issue, by permitting livestock haulers from having to comply with hours-of-service rules within 150 air-mile radius from final destination of livestock and use of electronic logging devices (ELD). | OPPOSE |
| Sec. 5108 | Permits states to waive the engine compartment pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement for a CDL applicant seeking to operate a school bus or vehicle for use in public transportation if the operation of such bus or vehicle occurs within a 150-air mile radius from the point of origination. This brief but vital action helps to ensure vehicle and passenger safety. | OPPOSE |
| Sec. 5109 | Opens the door to CDL license shopping which impacts safety by directing the DOT Secretary to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to allow a State to administer a driving skills test to any CDL applicant, regardless of the State of domicile of the applicant or where the applicant received training. Also allows a State or third-party examiner to administer the CDL knowledge test. | OPPOSE |
|
Title V, Sub. E |
Fails to ensure that the deployment of automated commercial motor vehicles (ACMVs) are supported by key minimum performance standards for the automated driving system (ADS) (Sec. 5402), that robust safety data will be required and publicly available to determine the safety and readiness of ACMVs sharing public roads (Sec. 5402) and not weakened by TRC recommendations, may preempt states from taking action to ensure the safety of their roadways, and allows ACMV school bus and hazmat operations if a human operator is “in” the vehicle, not necessarily “in” the driver’s seat, among other issues. | OPPOSE |
Pro Safety Provisions
| Secs. 1101
& 1119 |
Perpetuates funding for Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program to allow direct to locality funding to make roadway safety infrastructure improvements. Allows Wash. DC to access program. | SUPPORT |
|
Secs. 1108, 1112, 1117 |
Directs funding to improve the safety of bridges and roadway infrastructure and roadway safety infrastructure. | SUPPORT |
| Sec. 1127 | Improves parking for commercial motor vehicles (CMV) and the safety of drivers. | SUPPORT |
| Sec. 1308 | Requires DOT Inspector General to conduct audit of FHWA’s oversight of roadside safety hardware devices. | SUPPORT |
|
Secs. 1314 & 1315
|
Requires DOT Comptroller General to conduct study on the effectiveness of discretionary and formula grant programs to ensure roadway safety is being improved, and to analyze the administration of grant programs. | SUPPORT |
| Secs. 1319, 4009,
4015 |
Improves vulnerable road user safety by advancing research, establishing a group to advance recommendations to improve roadway worker safety, and directing a study on micromobility safety. | SUPPORT |
| Sec. 4003 | Directs the Secretary to study and take action to detect and deter driving while marijuana or polysubstance impaired including by improving the crash data collection. | SUPPORT |
| Sec. 4004 | Supports high visibility enforcement to curb leading traffic safety issues and adds new efforts on counterfeit car seats and illegal school bus passing. Establishes a center to improve traffic safety enforcement. | SUPPORT |
| Sec. 4013 | Directs NHTSA to issue a FMVSS requiring motorcoaches to have direct vision from the driver’s seat. | SUPPORT |
| Sec. 4016 | Directs a study on the quality of highway safety data and the efficiency and accuracy of data reported to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). | SUPPORT |
| Secs. 5004 & 5204 | Improves driving training by allocating grant funding for training providers that provide 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training for Class A CDL and 15 hours of behind-the-wheel training for Class B CDL and establishing process for complaints about substandard training providers and augmenting criteria to remove provider from registry. | SUPPORT |
| Sec. 5005 | Improves safety reporting for exemptions to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR). | SUPPORT |
| Sec. 5208 | Requires employers to maintain records of all post-accident alcohol or controlled substance tests for a period of five years and ensure violations are recorded on carrier’s Safety Management System (SMS) record. | SUPPORT |
| Sec. 5209 | Improves the safety of new motor carrier entrants by requiring DOT Inspector General to conduct a review of New Entrant Safety Assurance Program. | SUPPORT |
View a printable version here.