Lawmakers supporting the U.S. House of Representatives’ version of the surface transportation reauthorization bill have approved an amendment to increase the required amount of insurance coverage for commercial motor vehicles from $750,000 to $2 million.
The amendment, introduced this week by U.S. Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Illinois, passed the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee late Wednesday by a vote of 37-27.
Supporters of the amendment argue that the current liability requirement does not entirely compensate victims of accidents involving trucks. Opponents, including small-business truck owners, contend that raising the limits could push small-companies out of the business while raising the cost of shipping for consumers.
The House version of the reauthorization of the FAST Act, called the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act, is a five-year, $494 billion surface transportation bill unveiled earlier this month.
The bill must be approved by the Democrat-controlled House, in a vote scheduled for late June, before moving to negotiations with the Republican-controlled Senate.
