Addition to Appropriations Bill Prods Reforms to CSA Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A provision that addresses the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA’s) Safety Fitness Determination proposal has been added to an appropriations bill in Congress.

The provision would prohibit FMCSA from using any funds to amend the regulations relating to Safety Fitness Determination for motor carriers until all reforms to the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) Program, as mandated by the FAST Act, are complete.

The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) applauded the move.

"NSTA and our member companies were one of the first to engage on this issue during our Spring Bus-In in March 2016, and we are pleased to see Congress listened to our concerns,” NSTA President Todd Monteferrario said.

“NSTA is committed to ensuring the safety of the carriers on the road every day, but any carrier evaluation must be based on fair and correct data,” NSTA Executive Director Ronna Weber added. “The FAST Act correctly directs FMCSA to make the necessary reforms to the CSA Program, and the Safety Fitness Determination proposal should not proceed until those corrections are made."

The bill was slated to be marked up in a subcommittee on Wednesday.

NSTA officials said that they would continue to work with committee members as the bill moves through the process.