As states continue closing rest areas because of budget shortfalls, Congress is reconsidering Jason’s Law to increase access to truck parking.
Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) introduced H.R. 1803 on May 11, co-sponsored by Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.), which was referred to the transportation committee.
Jason’s Law would provide $20 million annually over six years for truck parking upgrades on the National Highway System to local governments and private entities, according to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.
The American Trucking Associations said the bill would fund initiatives that could include building new parking, improvements to existing commercial and non-commercial parking, and technology to track open parking spaces.
The legislation is named for New York trucker Jason Rivenburg, murdered during a 2009 robbery attempt at an abandoned gas station in South Carolina.
Tonka and Jason’s widow, Hope Rivenburg, conducted a press conference May 11 outside the U.S. capitol building. They were joined by the OOIDA, ATA, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, American Moving & Storage Association and NATSO, the trade association representing travel plaza and truck stops.