H.R. 7248

Surface Transportation Advanced through Reform, Technology, and Efficient Review Act or the STARTER Act

This bill addresses provisions related to federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, innovation, and resiliency programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Among other provisions, the bill

• extends FY2020 enacted levels through FY2025 for federal-aid highway, transit, and safety programs;
• requires DOT to provide competitive grants for projects to provide parking for commercial motor vehicles on the federal-aid highway system;
• authorizes DOT to modify loan interest rates under the transportation infrastructure finance and innovation (TIFIA) program for borrowers impacted by COVID-19 (i.e. coronavirus disease 2019);
• specifies that projects that provide access to hospitals and health care providers in areas of limited public transportation options are eligible to be carried out as public transportation research projects;
• creates a public awareness campaign to reduce instances of driving while under the influence of prescription and over-the-counter medications;
• directs DOT to promulgate regulations to implement an apprenticeship program for licensed commercial motor vehicle drivers under the age of 21;
• establishes new competitive grant programs to spur innovation of connected vehicle applications into practical and effective operational deployments, and to test the safe integration of automated driving system technologies into the on-road transportation system; and
• addresses projects to improve the resiliency of federal-aid highways and bridges on and off the National Highway System.