Thune and Nelson Statements on Five-Year Surface Transportation Bill

Statement

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation released the following statements on the conference committee agreement on the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act -- a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill which includes many key provisions approved by the committee earlier this summer.

"Working together with colleagues in the House and Senate, the final conference report includes provisions that will improve overall safety, including motor vehicle safety," said Thune. "The Senate Commerce Committee's effort will help in reforming flawed regulations, providing key agencies new tools to improve safety, and laying critical groundwork for freight and passenger railroad infrastructure improvements. Each state has unique transportation needs and the FAST Act offers critical flexibility to streamline projects and deliver better results."

"If there is one thing most Americans can agree on is that many of our roads and bridges are crumbling," said Nelson. "This bipartisan agreement provides states and cities with the long-term resources they need to fund critical transportation projects, while also improving vital highway safety and consumer protection measures."

On July 30, 2015, the U.S. Senate approved the DRIVE Act on a bipartisan vote of 65-34. After House passage of similar legislation, the Senate and House formed a conference committee on which Thune and Nelson both served to resolve the differences between the two bills. The text of the agreement, now known as the FAST Act, is available here and a full summary of the legislation can be found here.

Source