Press Release from CVSA

On March 18, 2010, the Senate passed the “Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE)” Act, H.R. 2847, that included a provision to extend SAFETEA-LU through December 31, 2010 as well as providing the Highway Trust Fund $19.5 billion so it can meet its financial obligations through 2011. FMCSA and the state safety grant programs are funded from the Highway Trust Fund. The President is expected to sign the bill.

This extension will allow FMCSA to begin awarding full year funding for Fiscal Year 2010 to the States and Territories.

Whether a new Reauthorization bill will be passed by December 31 of this year is still questionable. However, both the Senate Environment and Public Works and Commerce Committees are now beginning work on a Reauthorization bill. The Senate Commerce Committee will be holding a series of motor carrier safety hearings starting with a general safety oversight hearing in April. On the House side, a core Reauthorization bill has already cleared the Highway and Transit Subcommittee.

One possible scenario is for the House and Senate to complete work on most of the major issues before the November elections except for the more difficult issue of financing the long term bill. This could conceivably be dealt with in a lame duck session of the 111th Congress. There is a precedent for such a scenario which occurred when the Surface Transportation Act of 1982 was passed.