Sponsors (10)
Introduced February 4, 2026 by Kirsten Gillibrand · Last progress February 4, 2026
The bill significantly advances underride-safety research, definitions, and oversight that can reduce fatal crashes and support evidence-based standards, but those safety gains come with material costs and operational burdens for manufacturers, carriers, small jurisdictions, and taxpayers and may be delayed if recommendations are not rapidly converted into binding rules.
Drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users will face fewer fatal and severe underride crashes because the bill enables standardized definitions, research, and underride guard requirements that inform stronger safety standards.
Manufacturers, fleet operators, and regulators gain clearer, harmonized statutory definitions and deadlines that reduce regulatory uncertainty and speed alignment of rulemaking and enforcement.
DOT, Congress, and state/local agencies get stronger evidence and better data—via mandated studies, a central public repository, FARS reviews, and training—that supports evidence-based standards, improved crash identification, and more targeted safety interventions.
Truck and trailer manufacturers, fleet owners (including small carriers), and ultimately consumers and shippers will face increased upfront and ongoing costs—design, certification, retrofitting, and new equipment—which can raise vehicle prices and freight/shipping costs.
Carriers and fleets may incur operational burdens—retrofitting downtime, supply chain disruptions, and administrative compliance strain—that particularly hurt smaller operators and could reduce competition or service availability.
Federal studies, advisory-committee meetings, the public repository, and improved FARS reviews will require DOT staff time and federal funding, increasing costs borne by taxpayers and potentially diverting agency resources from other priorities.
Based on analysis of 9 sections of legislative text.
Requires mandatory side underride guards on new trailers, semitrailers, and single-unit trucks, updates federal definitions, reconvenes an advisory committee, and directs studies, reporting, and training.
Requires DOT to mandate side underride guards on new trailers, semitrailers, and single-unit trucks, set safety performance standards (including preventing occupant intrusion at closing speeds up to 40 mph), and finalize regulations on a tight timetable. It also updates federal definitions, reconvenes and restructures an underride advisory committee, directs studies on front- and rear-end underride crashes, improves data and public resources, and requires better law-enforcement reporting and training on underride crashes.