Overview
Title
To amend title 23, United States Code, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with respect to vehicle roadside accidents, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
H.R. 9536 is a plan to make car accidents on the roadside safer by giving people better protection and collecting more information about these accidents. It also wants to help share safety information and make everyone more aware of how to stay safe near broken-down cars.
Summary AI
H.R. 9536 aims to improve safety measures concerning vehicle roadside accidents in the United States by amending certain titles of the U.S. Code and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill proposes expanding the Highway Safety Improvement Program to better protect people near disabled vehicles and encourages the collection and analysis of detailed data on crashes involving roadside vehicles. Additionally, it seeks to enhance data sharing and public awareness related to roadside safety and fatalities.
Published
Keywords AI
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Bill Statistics
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AnalysisAI
General Summary of the Bill
H.R. 9536, introduced in the 118th Congress, focuses on enhancing highway safety, specifically related to vehicle roadside accidents. The bill proposes amendments to Title 23 of the United States Code and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Its main aim is to improve the safety of users around disabled vehicles on highways by collecting data, enhancing public awareness, and updating existing safety programs.
Summary of Significant Issues
The bill reveals several critical issues:
Budgetary and Funding Concerns: The bill does not specify a budget or funding allocation for the proposed programs and activities. This omission could lead to uncertainty or mismanagement of resources, posing operational and financial risks to efficiently implementing the policies.
Complexity and Clarity of Stakeholder Roles: The language used to describe stakeholder involvement in the working group is convoluted. Without clear definitions of roles and expectations, the efficient collaboration and effective functioning of this group could be hindered.
Lack of Detailed Strategic Planning: The term "strategic plan" is used without providing specifics about who will oversee these plans or what criteria will be used to measure success. This vagueness could lead to challenges in governance and execution.
Undefined Concepts: Terms like "high-risk diverse communities" are not clearly defined, potentially leading to ambiguity in accurately determining which groups should be prioritized for resources and interventions.
Potential for Conflict of Interest: The involvement of nongovernment entities in the working group comes with risks of conflicts of interest or power imbalances, potentially affecting the fairness and impartiality of the policies developed.
Lack of Context for Amendments: The bill's approach of inserting or striking text in existing laws without providing sufficient contextual background could make it challenging for the public and lawmakers to understand the purpose and impact of these amendments.
Impact on the Public and Stakeholders
Broad Public Impact:
The bill aims to enhance public safety by reducing the number of accidents involving disabled vehicles on the road. By emphasizing data collection and analysis, the initiative could lead to more informed policymaking and infrastructure improvements, potentially saving lives and reducing injuries.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders:
Roadside Workers and First Responders: Individuals in high-risk professions such as truckers and first responders stand to benefit from enhanced safety measures. Improved public awareness and adherence to move over or slow down laws could decrease accidents involving these groups.
Historically Marginalized Groups: The bill mentions an intention to involve high-risk diverse communities, indicating efforts to engage with groups that frequently experience disproportionate rates of road-related injuries. However, without clear definitions and allocation of resources, the bill might struggle to achieve meaningful impact for these communities.
Insurers and Automobile Industries: These sectors could be positively impacted by reduced accident rates through lower claims and liability issues. Participation in the working group may also afford them a voice in shaping policies that align with their interests.
In conclusion, while H.R. 9536 presents a promising step toward increased highway safety, its effectiveness will heavily depend on clarifying its operational details and ensuring transparent, equitable engagement with all stakeholders involved.
Issues
The section on vehicle roadside accidents lacks specification on the budget or funding allocation for the programs and activities described (Section 1), which could lead to uncertainty or mismanagement of resources. This has significant financial and operational implications.
Subsection (b)(1) outlines the involvement of various stakeholders in a working group, but the language is complex and lacks clear definitions of roles and expectations. This could overwhelm participants and create inefficiencies.
The term 'strategic plan' in subsection (b)(2) is insufficiently detailed, with no information about oversight or success criteria, leading to potential governance and operational challenges.
The influence of nongovernment entities in the working group (subsection (b)(1)) is not clearly delineated, raising concerns about conflicts of interest or power imbalances, which could affect fair policymaking.
The section does not define 'high-risk diverse communities' (subsection (b)(1)), leading to ambiguity that could affect effective targeting and prioritization of resources, with ethical and operational implications.
The amendment descriptions often involve inserting or striking text without sufficient context or rationale for these changes (Section 1), complicating comprehension for the general public and lawmakers, and potentially leading to poor legislative interpretation.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Vehicle roadside accidents Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section introduces changes to various parts of United States law to improve highway safety concerning disabled vehicles. It includes amendments to collect data on accidents involving such vehicles, enhance injury health data reporting, and improve public awareness about laws requiring motorists to move over or slow down for disabled vehicles.