COVID-19 Legislative Action:
CARES Act:
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020. This legislation provided relief to various sectors and industries directly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
- Highway Safety Waiver. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was authorized to waive or postpone certain highway safety grant program requirements in response to the COVID-19. On April 9, 2020, NHTSA issued a notice pursuant to the CARES Act.
- Amtrak Relief. In addition to the broader financial relief programs, the CARES Act provided approximately $1 billion from general funds to Amtrak to respond to COVID-19. Of this, $492 million was for the Northeast Corridor and $526 million was for the National Network.
- Broader Relief. Among other programs, the CARES Act established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to provide funds to help pay for payroll costs. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, as of April 16, 2020, PPP has provided about $10.6 billion in loans to the transportation and warehousing industry sector, representing 3.1 percent of the total amount of loans provided under PPP.
COVID-19 Related Introduced Legislation:
- S. 3729, the Motor Carrier Safety Grant Relief Act of 2020. Introduced by Senators, Wicker, Cantwell, Fisher, Duckworth, and Thune, this legislation would provide states additional time and flexibility to use and redistribute FMCSA grant awards, which states rely on to support key commercial motor vehicle programs. S.3729 was reported favorably out of Committee on May 20, 2020.
- S. 3728, the Critical Infrastructure Employees Protection Act. Introduced by Senators Wicker, Cantwell, Sullivan, and Young, this legislation would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to adopt the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) definition of critical infrastructure employee in carrying out COVID-19 response efforts. S. 3728 also would direct DOT to coordinate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support efforts of state and local agencies to provide for priority testing and priority access to PPE for critical infrastructure employees.
COVID-19 Hearings:
The State of Transportation and Critical Infrastructure: Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. On June 3, 2020, the Committee convened a full committee hearing to examine the impact of COVID-19 on surface transportation and the supply chain. Witnesses discussed how the surface transportation stakeholders have responded to the pandemic and how they have continued to provide critical services during the COVID-19 outbreak.
COVID-19 Oversight Letters:
Freight Movement and Supply Chain Fluidity During COVID-19. On May 4, 2020, Chairman Wicker sent a letter to the surface transportation sector soliciting firsthand insights and experiences in responding to and learning from COVID-19. Below are responses from stakeholders.
Auto Innovation to Respond to COVID-19. On May 12, 2020, Chairman Wicker and House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Walden sent a letter to the automotive sector commending their use of using innovative technologies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter requested stakeholders’ plans to assist in recovering from the pandemic, including ways that new innovations are being used in response. Below are responses from stakeholders.
- Response from Alliance for Automotive Innovation
- Response from Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association
- Response from National Automobile Dealers Association
- Response from Consumer Technology Association
- Response from U.S. Chamber Technology Engagement Center
Passenger Transportation COVID-19 Impacts and Recovery. On May 20, 2020, Chairman Wicker sent a letter to Amtrak, bus drivers, Uber drivers, and other vital transportation services to consider the impacts of COVID-19 on the passenger transportation network. The letter requested various stakeholders’ expectations for recovery, protections implemented for employees and the public, and the effects of the CARES Act. Below are the responses from stakeholders:
- Response from the Transportation Alliance
- Response from Amtrak
- Response from United Motorcoach Association
- Response from American Bus Association
- Response from American Car Rental Association
- Response from Chamber Technology Engagement Center
- Response from National School Transportation Association
- Response from Coastal Transit Authority
Amtrak Long Distance Routes. On June 25, 2020, Chairman Wicker, Senator Moran, Senator Gardner, Senator Capito, and Senator Johnson sent a letter to Amtrak requesting more information on its changes to frequencies on long-distance routes.