Lawmakers, ATA urge passage of Jason's Law
Reps. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) and Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) on March 16 urged Congress to take action on bills aimed at providing funding to alleviate the nation's shortage of rest areas for long-haul truckers.
The bill proposed by Tonko and Paulsen, "Jason's Law" (H.R. 2156), is named after Jason Rivenburg, a New York truck driver who was shot to death in 2009 during a robbery at an abandoned gas station in South Carolina. The legislation proposes expansion and improvements to existing safety rest areas on the National Highway System.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) introduced similar legislation in the Senate in May 2009. Both bills were introduced last spring but await review in transportation subcommittees.
Members of the Arlington, VA-based American Trucking Associations voiced support for Jason's Law, claiming passage would help alleviate the parking shortage for commercial motor vehicles, which has compromised the safety of drivers on the road, according to a press release.
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