Next Gen Road Safety Act

Key Points

• This bill allows local police departments to use federal grant money to buy new technology for stopping high-speed car chases. Currently, this specific grant money is mostly used for hiring officers or other community programs.
• Police could use the funds to buy tools like vehicle-disabling devices, specialized bumper systems for patrol cars, and drones. These tools are meant to stop a fleeing car safely without a dangerous high-speed pursuit.
• The goal is to make roads safer for everyone by reducing the need for high-speed chases. These chases often lead to crashes that can hurt officers, suspects, or innocent bystanders.
• The bill was introduced by a bipartisan pair of lawmakers, meaning it has support from both Democrats and Republicans. It has been sent to a House committee for further review.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.