HR2187 includes no additional costs, CBO reports

There are no additional costs to implement HR2187, the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The Congressional Budget Office recently took a look at HR2187. According to its cost estimate report, no additional money is needed to implement the bill.

Spending subject to appropriation from 2022 through 2032 is estimated to be $755 million dollars. That is the same amount the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act allocates over four years to projects that add truck parking capacity.

The limited financial impact bodes well for the bill during a time of high inflation. Many lawmakers are wary of supporting bills that include what they may deem unnecessary spending.

For the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, there will be neither an increase nor a decrease in the deficit. The Congressional Budget Office’s report also notes that HR2187 does not include statutory pay-as-you-go procedures nor does it increase on-budget deficits in any four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2033.

Furthermore, the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act does not contain intergovernmental or private sector mandates.

Essentially, HR2187 will only cost what it is asking for, which is money that already exists.

On July 20, the full House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure pushed an amended version of the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act through the markup process by a unanimous, bipartisan vote.

The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act would allocate $755 million over four years to projects that add truck parking capacity. Per the bill, no project funded by HR2187 could charge for parking.

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., introduced the bill with Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has been working with Bost in drafting the truck parking bill. Todd Spencer, president and CEO of OOIDA, said it’s a major step forward but that there is still plenty of work to do.

“We thank all the House lawmakers from both parties who have worked together on this and hope that the U.S. Senate will follow their lead by stepping up to address American truckers’ top safety concern,” Spencer said.

If passed by the House, the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act would have to get through the Senate before being signed into law. Anything can happen there, including significant amendments that could alter the scope of the bill.

In the House version of the infrastructure bill, funding for truck parking was included. However, the Senate bill did not. It was the Senate version that was signed into law.

Truckers are encouraged to let their representatives know about HR2187 and encourage them to sign on as a co-sponsor. LL