State Highway Safety Chief Calls for Reforms at Senate Hearing

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, GHSA Chairman Kendell Poole testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance. The hearing was held to examine implementation of the federal surface transportation authorization bill – Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) – and assess federal oversight of behavioral highway safety grant programs. GHSA's member State Highway Safety Offices administer these programs at the state level.

Chairman Poole centered his remarks on actions that Congress and the Administration can take to improve the development and implementation of highway safety programs. Specific suggestions include the following:

• Pass a long-term reauthorization bill. It is difficult for states to adequately plan and forecast future needs and attain performance targets when funding and program authority are uncertain. MAP-21 is a two-year bill set to expire at the end of this month.
• Reduce unnecessary and burdensome federal oversight. Congress and NHTSA should simplify and streamline grant processes so states can spend more time on life-saving programming and less time on administrative paperwork such as the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirement. NHTSA should also issue final rules on MAP-21 program implementation. The Agency issued an interim rule in January of 2013 and requested comments, but has not responded.
• Restructure Section 405 incentive grants so that more states qualify. In 2014, despite strong state laws, no state qualified for the teen driving incentive and only one qualified for distracted driving funds. States also need accurate and timely guidance from NHTSA as to what legislative changes are needed to qualify.
• Provide the bulk of funding to the Section 402 grant program. Section 402 is the "building block" of highway safety and provides states with the greatest flexibility to meet their unique challenges with research-based solutions. To continue to reduce fatalities and injuries on our roads, states must have greater flexibility in tackling the issues of greatest concern to them.

Chairman Poole also requested that states be given the option of using the most recent state or federal data for planning purposes and asked Congress to provide states adequate time to address any changes made in the behavioral safety programs.

GHSA's full written testimony [217 KB, 9 pgs.] is posted online.

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Contact GHSA at 202-789-0942 or visit www.ghsa.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GHSAhq or follow us on Twitter @GHSAHQ.

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SOURCE Governors Highway Safety Association