Rep. Delgado Statement on NTSB Report on Schoharie Limo Crash

Statement

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) released the following statement after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) voted to finalize their investigative report on the Schoharie limo crash on October 6, 2018.

One year after the limo crash that killed 20 people in Schoharie County, Rep. Antonio Delgado, Rep. Paul Tonko, and Senator Chuck Schumer joined family members of the victims to introduce comprehensive legislation to improve limousine safety. Their bipartisan package is made up of three bills: Rep. Delgado's End the Limo Loophole Act, as well as Rep. Tonko's Take Unsafe Limos Off the Road Act, and the SAFE Limos Act. All three of these measures passed the House in July as part of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act.

"As we approach two years after an unthinkable tragedy that killed 20 people, the National Transportation Safety Board presented their findings on the mechanical failures that allowed an unsafe limo on the road. The report articulates systemic issues with the vehicle's safety mechanisms, from failed brakes, to a lack of occupant safety measures, to insufficient oversight of vehicle inspections," said Rep. Delgado, member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. "My thoughts today are with the brave and resilient families of those who lost loved ones nearly two years ago and I applaud their work to raise their voices in calls for reform. I urge my colleagues at the federal level to take these recommendations seriously and immediately implement legislative changes to impound vehicles and improve the safety of stretch limos. This report outlines important steps that must be considered to prevent another horrific tragedy. I will keep calling on the Senate to take up these bipartisan, House-passed limo safety measures including the SAFE Limos Act, the Take Unsafe Limos Off the Road Act, and my End the Limo Loophole Act."

In July, the House passed three bills to address limo safety as part of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, which is comprehensive legislation to invest in our nation's infrastructure. These include:

The End the Limo Loophole Act, led by Rep. Delgado, a member of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, closes the "limousine loophole" by reclassifying vehicles used to carry nine or more passengers as commercial motor vehicles. Current law only classifies vehicles designed for 15 or more passengers in this way, allowing many limousines to operate under less rigorous standards.
The Take Unsafe Limos Off the Road Act, led by Reps. Tonko and Delgado, promotes funding to support states' efforts to impound or immobilize vehicles that fail inspection for critical safety reasons. This legislation would incentivize states such as New York to take strong actions to keep unsafe limos that fail inspection off the road.
The Safety, Accountability, and Federal Enforcement of Limos Act (SAFE Limos Act), led by Reps. Tonko and Delgado, includes a full slate of new federal stretch limousine safety rules and standards for seatbelts, seat integrity, a federal definition for limousines and crash safety research.
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