Summary#
This bill changes parts of title 23 of the U.S. Code to improve safety for people who work on or next to roads. It requires better data collection so crashes that involve highway workers can be tracked separately. States must add strategies to their highway safety plans if highway worker injuries or deaths rise over a recent two-year period.
The bill directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to update public materials about "Move Over" laws to list more types of people and vehicles to be protected, and to run a public service announcement after the update. It also adds highway workers to certain federal traffic safety program language.
The Department of Transportation is to carry out research and outreach on ways to protect highway workers using existing research centers and programs. The bill also changes how several federal grant programs (INFRA, Mega, and BUILD) consider projects, by asking whether projects include measures or plans to protect highway workers during construction and after completion.
What it means for you#
- If you work on or beside roads: the bill focuses federal attention on tracking your crashes, planning state responses when worker injuries rise, and promoting outreach and research to improve your safety.
- If you drive: NHTSA materials and a public service announcement will stress who to protect when stopping or passing roadside incidents, including more worker types covered by Move Over guidance.
- If you run a state transportation agency: you may need to improve crash data categories, include worker-focused strategies in strategic highway safety plans when required, and consider worker protection in grant applications and project plans.
- If you apply for INFRA, Mega, or BUILD grants: applications and project scoring will consider whether projects include work zone safety plans and measures to protect highway workers during construction and after project completion.
- Timelines in the bill: NHTSA must update public materials within 2 years and run a public service announcement within 180 days after that update. Authorized funding covers fiscal years 2027–2031 for the activities listed.
Expenses#
- NHTSA public awareness and announcement: the bill authorizes $2,000,000 for each fiscal year 2027 through 2031, to remain available until expended.
- Research and outreach: the bill authorizes $3,000,000 for each fiscal year 2027 through 2031, to remain available until expended.
- No publicly available information on other cost estimates, savings, or fiscal impacts beyond the specific authorization amounts above.
Proponents' View#
The bill's provisions aim to make roadside work safer by improving how crashes involving highway workers are counted, increasing public awareness of whom to protect at roadside incidents, funding research and outreach, and making worker protection a factor in major project grants.
Opponents' View#
No publicly available information.