Thune Sets Mark-Up of Transportation Bill with Regulatory and Consumer Protection Reforms

Press Release

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today announced the committee will convene on Wednesday, July 15 to consider and vote on S. 1732, the Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act of 2015. The legislation, sponsored jointly by Thune, Surface Subcommittee chairman Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Consumer Protection Subcommittee chairman Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), authorizes the office of the Secretary of Transportation for the next six years (Fiscal Years 2016 through 2021) and contains key reforms to enhance safety, streamline grant programs, and improve the accountability and efficiency of oversight efforts.

"As the Senate works to consider a multi-year plan to fund highway and other infrastructure projects, we also have the opportunity to enact reforms for the Department of Transportation that are vital for our economy and the safety of travelers," said Thune. "There have been significant management failures at the agency responsible for vehicle recalls linked to fatalities and clear problems in rail safety that contributed to the Amtrak 188 tragedy. This is our opportunity to address failures and make agencies more responsive to commonsense public needs and more accountable to taxpayers. This bill incorporates numerous proposals from the Administration, bipartisan proposals put forward by Senators, and proposals that have been previously considered and embraced by a consensus of the committee."

By tradition, following committee approval, S. 1732 will be combined with S. 1647, the DRIVE Act, and component legislation from other Senate committees on the Senate floor to form legislation commonly referred to as "The Highway Bill" or the "Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill."

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