PRIA Logo™
119-hr-7354119th CongressWALLET

Stop Underrides Act 2.0

Sponsored By: Representative Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]

In Committee

Summary

This bill would aim to _reduce deaths and injuries from underride crashes_ by requiring stronger underride protections on trailers, semitrailers, and single unit trucks and by funding studies and data improvements. It combines new performance standards, deadlines for federal rulemaking, expanded advisory input, and public research and training to make side, rear, and front underride protections more effective and better tracked.

Show full summary
  • Families of underride victims would get a formal voice on the expanded Advisory Committee and the bill memorializes victims while funding more frequent meetings until standards are set.
  • Road users and vehicle occupants would benefit from a new performance standard for side underride guards that prevents intrusion into the occupant survival space in perpendicular impacts up to 40 mph and that also blocks vulnerable road users from passing underneath while encouraging aerodynamic designs.
  • Regulators and industry would face deadlines to finish rulemaking and require compliance, with NHTSA directed to finalize side guard rules within 18 months and full implementation within 2 years after finalization, plus expanded federal studies, a Fatality Analysis Reporting System review, and free web training for law enforcement.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

New side underride guard rules

This bill would require DOT to finalize side underride guard rules within 18 months. The rules would require new trailers, semitrailers, and single unit trucks to have side underride guards. The guards would have to prevent intrusion into passenger survival space for perpendicular impacts up to 40 miles per hour and stop Vulnerable Road Users from passing underneath. The rulemaking would have to include cost‑benefit analyses that estimate lives saved and compute net fuel savings from aerodynamic designs. Manufacturers and carriers would have two years after the rules are finalized to meet the new standards. The bill would also add and update legal definitions for underride guards, trailers, passenger motor vehicles, and Vulnerable Road Users.

Better underride crash data and training

This bill would require NHTSA to review the Fatality Analysis Reporting System within one year to find underride deaths that were missed or misclassified. The review would use initial point of impact, the Crash Investigation Sampling System, and open‑source media with photo evidence. NHTSA would provide recommendations to improve how police report these crashes. The bill would require free, on‑demand web training for state and local law enforcement to identify and document underride crashes, available within 18 months. The Department would also publish a public underride research website upon enactment and update it at least quarterly.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]

TN • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 2/4/2026

  • Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]

    NC • D

    Sponsored 2/4/2026

  • Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]

    WI • D

    Sponsored 2/12/2026

  • Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4]

    NC • D

    Sponsored 3/4/2026

  • Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 3/5/2026

  • Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large]

    DE • D

    Sponsored 3/16/2026

  • Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 3/18/2026

  • Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2]

    NM • D

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 4/15/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation