The bill is called “Jason’s Law” in honor of Schoharie County, N.Y., trucker Jason Rivenburg, who was shot to death during a robbery attempt on March 5 while resting at an abandoned gas station in South Carolina.

It marks the first bill that Rep. Tonko has introduced in the House.

Schoharie County is located in New York’s 21st District, which the newly-elected Tonko represents.

“Jason Rivenburg was the victim of a senseless act of violence, and this bill is a way for us to honor his memory by providing greater measure of safety for truckers,” Tonko said in a prepared statement. “If we are going to require truck drivers to get a needed amount of rest in the course of their workday to protect themselves and other motorists, than it makes sense that we partner with local governments and private companies to provide enough safe, secure areas to park. I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to Jason’s wife, Hope, and her two year old son Josh as well the recently born twins, Hezekiah and Logan. Their husband and father was a hard working man and it is my humble honor to introduce this bill in his name.”

“Jason’s Law” would create a six-year pilot program that would make $120 million available in from of grants ($20 million per year) for local governments and private companies to address the shortage of parking for commercial vehicles on the National Highway System, Tonko said.

The bill drew a quick statement of strong support from the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association, which sent a call to action to its 160,000 members urging them to call their lawmakers and make them aware of the bill.

OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer said Tonko’s bill is a “good one” that would benefit truckers who struggle daily to find secure truck parking.

“We need to pursue whatever is possible to expand the amount of parking in areas where it’s so desperately needed,” Spencer told OOIDA’s publication Land Line.

The grants would provide funding for several initiatives:

• Construction of safety rest areas that include parting for commercial motor vehicles.

• Constructing commercial motor vehicle parking facilities next to commercial truck stops and travel plazas.

• Opening existing facilities for commercial motor vehicle parking, including inspection and weigh stations and park-and-ride facilities.

• Promoting the availability of publicly or privately provided commercial motor vehicle parking on the National Highway System.

• Constructing turnouts along the National Highway System for commercial motor vehicles.

• Making capital improvements to public commercial motor vehicle parking facilities currently closed on a seasonal basis 

• Improving the geometric design of interchanges on the National Highway System to improve access to commercial motor vehicle parking facilities

Priority would be given to grant applicants that can demonstrate a severe shortage of commercial motor vehicle parking, who have consulted with affected government agencies, community groups, and private companies, and demonstrate that the projects would have positive effects on highway safety, traffic congestion or air quality, Tonko said.

The bill has been referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.