May 8, 2021
Dear Friends,
More than two years ago, our community was forever changed by the unfathomable loss of 20 souls, beloved by their families, friends and neighbors, to a limousine that should never have been on the road.
The 2018 Schoharie limo crash was one of the deadliest transportation disasters our nation has ever seen, but it was not the first. Communities on Long Island, New York, in Elgin, Illinois, Cranbury, New Jersey, San Francisco, California and too many others have been devastated by preventable and unnecessarily dangerous limousine crashes.
If we fail to fix this broken system, deadly incidents like the Schoharie tragedy will happen again. From day one, the local families impacted by that disaster have demanded nationwide reform. I have worked closely with them since that fateful day to build meaningful, forceful solutions. Federal limo safety standards must be strengthened, loopholes closed, and dangerous limousines taken off the road.
Thanks to their drive, vision and resolve, and with the support of other leading figures in our New York Congressional delegation, I reintroduced comprehensive, bipartisan national limousine safety reform legislation this week. Now I am calling for the committees with jurisdiction over these issues to take up our safety reform package immediately.
Our limo safety package consists of three lifesaving bills:
- The SAFE Limos Act (Safety, Accountability, and Federal Enforcement of Limos Act of 2021)
- Requires that limousines have safety belts for every designated seating position and adhere to federal standards for seats and seat assemblies
- Closes the loophole that currently allows used vehicles to be converted into limousines without meeting federal safety standards
- Requires limousine manufacturers to submit “vehicle modifier plans” detailing how they will comply with strict federal standards
- Directs research into side impact protection, roof crush resistance, and air bag systems for protection of occupants based on various seating configurations
- Requires NHTSA to conduct research and issue standards that can aid egress and regress in the event that a primary exit from the limousine’s passenger compartment is blocked
- Requires limousine operators to prominently display last inspection dates, results & correctives
- The Take Unsafe Limos Off the Road Act
- Incentivizes states to strengthen policies to impound or immobilize unsafe limousines to be eligible for federal funds.
- The End the Limo Loophole Act
- Updates “Commercial Motor Vehicle” definition to include vehicles modified to seat 9+ people
For too long, the families of those souls lost in the Schoharie limo crash and other deadly crashes across the country have carried the wounds of these tragedies without federal resolution. As our nation turns to the task of rebuilding our lives and our communities, America’s limousine safety laws must be strengthened. On those days of celebration or mourning ahead, we need to know that the limousine carrying our loved ones is safe. We have a plan to fix the laws and make that promise a reality. We owe it to the victims and their loved ones to ensure that commonsense legislation is passed so that no family has to suffer this kind of senseless tragedy ever again.
Now and always, I stand with those calling for commonsense reform to better the lives of the people I serve. And I will not stop my fight in Congress until we do right by these families and see this legislation enacted.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
Throughout this pandemic, my office and I have worked to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations on any and all COVID-19 related topics. With that in mind here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- The Treasury Department has issued guidance regarding the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), which was established under section 3206 of the American Rescue Plan Act.
- Under the HAF, Treasury will provide financial assistance in an aggregate amount of approximately $9.9 billion for states, tribes and territories.
- Each eligible entity approved to receive payment from the HAF must enter into a financial assistance agreement with Treasury. A form of the financial assistance agreement is available at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/homeowner-assistance-fund.
- Homeowners are eligible to receive amounts allocated to a HAF participant under the HAF if they experienced a financial hardship after January 21, 2020 and have incomes equal to or less than 150% of the area median income.
- For additional HAF guidance, see the information packet HERE.