Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Two amendments sponsored by U.S. Representative Scott Perry (PA-4) to improve roadway safety and remove government obstacles to job creation were signed into law recently as part of The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, a five-year, fully funded bill that reauthorizes and reforms federal highway, transit and highway safety programs.  Four legislative measures sponsored by Rep. Perry were signed into law since he began his service in Congress in 2013.

The first amendment adds training for the installation and maintenance of guardrail systems as an eligible activity under the Work Zone Safety Grant.  Guardrail systems are proven roadway safety countermeasures that save the lives of the motoring public every day; however, when these systems are installed or maintained improperly, their safety value is decreased. Additional training helps ensure these systems are installed correctly, thereby protecting drivers. The amendment costs no additional taxpayer money and was co-sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT-5) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL-3).
 
The second amendment was incorporated from legislation Rep. Perry introduced earlier this year (H.R. 2077), which requires a comprehensive study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of minimum financial responsibility requirements for motor carriers of passengers.
 
The FMCSA has a pending rulemaking that potentially could increase school bus contractors' insurance rates by over 400% without any study or analysis of the issue. School buses are the very safest form of transportation according to DOT's own statistics and this amendment prevents the government from unilaterally raising insurance minimums and protects privately owned motorcoach and school bus companies, many of them small businesses.

"The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) thanks Congressman Scott Perry for his leadership in producing a strong bipartisan bill that will ensure that the private school bus industry and the millions of children it transports to and from school safely every day, continue to thrive," states Ronna Sable Weber, Executive Director of NSTA.

Two legislative measures sponsored by Rep. Perry were previously signed into law. The first, a bipartisan amendment to H.R. 4007, the Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act, reinforces the protection and security of chemical facilities from terrorist attacks. In December of 2014, his legislation to preserve the Lincoln Train Station, where President Abraham Lincoln arrived prior to delivering the Gettysburg Address (originally H.R. 1513), was incorporated into separate legislation and signed into law. The Gettysburg Foundation recently donated the Plum Run property, which is just south of Big Round Top, to the Gettysburg National Military Park – action made possible by this legislation.

Other legislation sponsored by Rep. Perry continues to move forward. On Tuesday, the House unanimously approved The HSA Technical Corrections Act (HR 3859), legislation Rep. Perry authored to make the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) more efficient by updating obsolete language and striking outdated offices and reporting requirements. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Congress passed the HSA, the organizing document of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance the ability of the federal government to prevent future acts of domestic terrorism. In the intervening years, agencies have changed names, roles and responsibilities have shifted, and a number of reporting requirements have expired. By cleaning up the Homeland Security Act of 2002, this bill ensures that the organizing document of DHS more accurately reflects its mission and allows Congress to conduct more effective oversight.

Other legislative initiatives being advocated by Rep. Perry include: The Charlotte's Web Medical Access Act of 2015 (H.R. 1635), legislation to ensure that children and individuals with epilepsy and other debilitating seizure disorders have access to life-changing Cannabidiol (CBD) oil. This bill has more than 60 bipartisan co-sponsors. Rep. Perry’s bipartisan amendment to remove government barriers to the development of hydropower in the U.S. passed the House earlier this year. Hydropower is our nation’s most available, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy source, creating thousands of jobs (many in the 4th District) and providing power to millions of Americans at low cost.