Sponsors (2)
The bill substantially boosts protections for roadside and highway workers through data, outreach, research, and planning incentives, but does so at the cost of added administrative burdens and modest federal spending increases that may disproportionately strain smaller or under-resourced jurisdictions.
Construction and highway/roadside workers will face fewer vehicle intrusions, speed-related incidents, and injuries because the bill requires improved data collection, Move Over outreach, research-backed protections, and work zone safety plans.
Drivers and roadside personnel will get clearer, better-funded public education (including NHTSA PSAs) about Move Over laws and how to protect stopped vehicles and work zones, increasing public awareness of safe behavior around roadside workers.
Federal investment in safety research and program support (authorizations totaling recurring millions for research centers and outreach) will sustain development of engineering fixes, technology, training, and outreach to reduce roadway worker risks.
State and local transportation agencies (especially smaller ones) will face higher administrative, data-collection, reporting, and planning costs to meet new requirements for distinguishing worker crashes and preparing work zone safety plans.
Smaller jurisdictions and under-resourced contractors risk being disadvantaged in grant competitions and in implementing protections because they may lack capacity to develop required plans or access direct funding.
The bill increases federal spending (authorized appropriations such as $2M/year and $3M/year in FY2027–2031), which could create budgetary pressure or require offsets and reallocation of federal resources.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Strengthens data, planning, outreach, research, and grant-review requirements to reduce highway worker injuries and deaths in work zones and roadside incidents.
Official title: Amend title 23, United States Code, to enhance roadside worker safety, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Catherine Marie Cortez Masto · Last progress March 26, 2026
Requires States and federal agencies to strengthen data collection, planning, outreach, research, and grant criteria to reduce injuries and deaths of highway workers and other road users in work zones and roadside incidents. It directs NHTSA to update Move Over outreach, funds research and outreach at DOT, and conditions grant review and State safety plans on protections for highway workers.