Work Zone Safety Enhancement Act
A BILL
To amend title 23, United States Code, to allow States to use highway safety funds for work zone safety initiatives, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Work zone safety
“(p) Work zone safety
“(1) Use of funds—Subject to the requirements of the applicable triennial highway safety plan of the State, as approved by the Secretary under subsection (k), a State may use a portion of the amounts received under this section to promote the reduction of crashes, injuries, and fatalities in and adjacent to work zones, including—
“(A) providing grants, overtime, equipment, and operational support for law enforcement agencies to conduct dedicated high-visibility enforcement and safety patrols in or adjacent to work zones;
“(B) developing and deploying work zone modules for driver education, licensing examinations, and refresher trainings for commercial drivers and the general public;
“(C) purchasing, deploying, testing, and maintaining work zone alerting and intrusion-mitigation technologies (such as portable variable message signs, radar speed trailers, queue detection, connected-vehicle or in-vehicle alerts, and intrusion detection sensors), including pilot and demonstration projects;
“(D) implementing training and certification programs for flaggers, inspectors, and construction personnel on traveler management and worker protection; and
“(E) collecting work zone crash and near-miss data, evaluating countermeasures, and funding independent program evaluations and demonstration.
“(2) Priority—In carrying out an activity described in paragraph (1), a State shall prioritize assisting Tribal governments and rural areas.”