Safe Roads Act of 2011
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Highways and Transit.
Safe Roads Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a national clearinghouse for verified positive alcohol and controlled substance test results and test refusals as well as violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) alcohol and controlled substances regulations of commercial motor vehicle operators. Prohibits the release of clearinghouse information to a commercial motor carrier employer unless there has been compliance with all applicable federal privacy laws and regulations.
Authorizes the Secretary to collect fees from such employers and other authorized users for informational requests.
Prohibits an employer from hiring an individual to operate a commercial motor vehicle unless the employer has determined that the individual, for the preceding three-year period, has: (1) been tested for use of alcohol and controlled substances; (2) not tested positive for their use, or tested positive but has completed the return-to-duty process; (3) not refused to be tested; and (4) not violated FMCSA alcohol and controlled substances regulations.
Directs the Secretary to establish a process: (1) to require employers to request and review any clearinghouse records of individuals before their employment as a commercial motor vehicle operator and for each year thereafter as long as the individual is so employed; and (2) for an individual and a state licensing authority to request and receive information from the clearinghouse.
Subjects persons who violate the requirements of this Act to both civil and criminal penalties.
Requires the Secretary to take certain actions to enhance DOT oversight of testing sites.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on July 8, 2011. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 9, 2011: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 112th Congress (2011-12), 283 of the 10,618 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Eric Crawford (R-AR) introduced it on July 8, 2011, and 22 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 6 Democrats, 16 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on July 8, 2011, 5543 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 5542 days ago, on July 9, 2011.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 112th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2013 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers