A bill to require States and Indian tribes to designate specific highway routes over which hazardous materials may be transported.
Key claim: States and Indian tribes would have to pick specific highways that hazardous materials are allowed to travel on, instead of merely being allowed to do so under current law.
Abstract
(S395 · 110th Congress) Requires states and Indian tribes (authorized under current law) to designate specific highway routes over which hazardous materials may be transported. Latest action (2007-01-25): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Why this matters
Under current federal law, States and Indian tribes may designate specific highways for hazardous materials transport but are not required to. Making designation mandatory would channel hazmat shipments onto pre-selected corridors nationwide, changing route predictability, emergency-response planning, and community exposure — but the 2007 bill never advanced, so the permissive regime remains in place.