Rep. Brian Mast R-FL · 1 cosponsor · House T&I Committee
Would codify the Administration’s Freedom Haulers initiative to streamline veterans’ path to a commercial driver’s license. Extends the military skills test waiver window from 12 to 24 months after service — exempting veterans with heavy-vehicle military experience from the skills test — and makes the Even Exchange Program permanent, letting qualified veterans bypass CDL knowledge exams.
Senate measure · passed the Senate 90–6 · House–Senate negotiations to continue after recess
The Senate passed its continuing resolution by a bipartisan 90–6 vote. The measure would extend government funding at FY26 levels through December 11 and extend the IIJA’s Highway Trust Fund authorizations through the same date, but would not continue the IIJA’s Division J appropriations — roughly $38 billion a year for grant and formula programs including INFRA, PIDP, and CRISI. The House passed its own clean CR earlier this summer; House–Senate negotiations are expected to continue once Members return from recess.
Added Aug 7, 2026
S. 5294In committeeSecurity
Keeping China Off the Rails Act
Sen. Joni Ernst R-IA · sole sponsor · Senate Commerce Committee
Likely Senate companion to the House’s Keeping China Off the Rails Act (H.R. 8417, Reps. Moolenaar (R-MI) and Gottheimer (D-NJ)); Senate bill text is not yet available. Would prohibit foreign-developed tracking technology on existing freight railcars through a phased compliance schedule — current law covers only new railcars — addressing national-security concerns about foreign adversaries tracking military and other sensitive cargo.
Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement (SAFE) Act
Sen. Todd Young R-IN & Sen. Andy Kim D-NJ · Bipartisan · Senate Commerce Committee
Bipartisan Senate companion to the House SAFE Act (H.R. 7539), targeting “chameleon carriers” that reopen under new identities to evade insurance and FMCSA enforcement. Would require a GAO study of their prevalence and associated crashes, direct FMCSA to build and test an automated tool to flag suspicious registration applications (with an appeals process and effectiveness audits), and improve federal–state information sharing. Supported by ATA, OOIDA, and the Truckload Carriers Association.
Rep. Nanette Barragán D-CA · 5 cosponsors · House T&I and Science, Space & Technology Committees
Would establish a $1 billion-per-year MARAD program to support the research, development, demonstration, deployment, and commercialization of zero-emission and clean alternative maritime technologies and infrastructure. Senate companion: S. 4935.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen D-MD · 1 cosponsor · Senate Commerce Committee
Senate companion to H.R. 9454, carrying the same $1 billion-per-year MARAD program for zero-emission and clean alternative maritime technologies and infrastructure.
Would require that any edits or annotations to ELD records be made only by a carrier, dispatcher, or driver located in North America, while keeping all edits subject to driver approval.
Would require a hazardous-materials placard on all refrigerated shipping containers, improving first-responder awareness of refrigeration-related hazards.
The most relevant of a trio of Beyer rail bills on alternative power. Would create an unfunded FRA pilot program to improve freight and passenger rail’s ability to rotate between diesel, battery, electric, and hydrogen power sources, identify barriers to implementation, and design a railcar capable of switching between them.
