Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Budget

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Overview: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries. The 2004 budget request for FMCSA -- totaling $447 million, 22 percent above the 2003 request -- will help meet this challenge. Large trucks represent about 4 percent of registered vehicles; however, they account for 7 percent of the vehicle-miles traveled on our Nation's highways. In 2002, 4,984 people died in crashes involving a large truck, compared to 5,082 in 2001 and 5,282 in 2000. While significant progress is being made toward meeting the agency's goal of saving lives by preventing truck and bus crashes, much more needs to be done.

	2002 Actual	2003 1/ Request	2004 1/ Request
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Budget (Dollars In Millions)
	2002 Actual	2003 1/ Request
Motor Carrier Safety Operations & Programs 2/	[163]	[169]	224
Motor Carrier Safety Grants 2/	[198]	[198]	223
Motor Carrier Safety	110	117	-
National Motor Carrier Safety Program	206	190	-
Border Enforcement Program	45	60	-
TOTAL	361	367	447
1/ Excludes estimated accrual payments for civil service retirement and health benefits. 2/ New accounts for FY 2004. (FY 2002 and FY 2003 levels are shown as non-add for comparison purposes.)

FY 2004 Budget

Motor Carrier Safety Operations & Programs: $224 million, 33 percent above FY 2003, is requested to support critical motor carrier program activities that will reduce crashes, save lives, and prevent injuries on our Nation's highways. The FY 2004 budget proposes the following funding requests aimed at meeting DOT's strategic goals and performance targets:

Highway Safety- $174 million is dedicated to reducing the incidence and severity of commercial truck and bus crashes by: advancing truck and bus standards and oversight; increasing compliance and enforcement with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (including safety audits on new commercial trucking firms); extend commercial truck and bus safety education and outreach; and improving commercial truck and bus safety information. Funds are also included for maintaining a comprehensive safety inspection program at the southern border to ensure that Mexican trucks entering the United States are meeting Federal safety regulations (the border was opened to Mexican commercial truck and bus traffic in November 2002).
Hazardous Materials Safety- $9 million is requested to reduce the number and severity of commercial truck and bus hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incidents by: increasing compliance and enforcement with Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations; implementing a new national HAZMAT permit program; and, improving HAZMAT safety information.
Hazardous Materials Security- $10 million is requested to improve the security of trucks and buses transporting hazardous materials by: examining hazardous material driver identities for security risks; continuing hazardous materials security education and outreach; and, improving commercial truck and bus security risk assessment information.
Mobility & Economic Growth- $2 million is requested to improve the efficiency and integrity of commercial truck and bus transportation by: ensuring compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Commercial Regulations through increased household goods carrier enforcement efforts and maintaining a national Consumer Complaints and Safety Violation Telephone Hotline.
Organizational Excellence- $29 million is requested to increasing accountability and program performance through the maintenance and completion of an improved field administrative and, information technology infrastructure.

Motor Carrier Safety Grants: $223 million, 13 percent above FY 2003, is requested to increase aggressive state enforcement of interstate commercial truck and bus regulations as part of the Federal/state partnership aimed at meeting DOT's strategic goals and performance targets:

Highway Safety- $214 million is requested to support state enforcement, regulatory compatibility, and safety information capabilities. This includes $165 million dedicated to Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) state grants. Grants will be used to support state motor carrier compliance reviews; roadside inspections; enforcement of violations noted in roadside inspections, and a new safety program requirement that new commercial trucking firms pass a safety audit within the first 18 months of operations in order to receive permanent registration. State safety enforcement efforts at the southern border are funded at $23 million to ensure the safety of Mexican trucks and buses entering the U.S. In addition, $22 million is included to improve State commercial driver's license (CDL) oversight activities to prevent unqualified drivers from being issued CDLs, and $4 million is provided for the Performance Registration Information Systems and Management (PRISM) program, which links state motor vehicle registration systems with carrier safety data in order to identify unsafe commercial trucks and buses.
Hazardous Materials Safety- $9 million is requested to initiate a grant program in support of State HAZMAT enforcement and regulatory compatibility at the northern border to ensure that all points of entry to the U.S. transportation system are fortified with comprehensive safety measures.