Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
The bill codifies the Department of Transportation’s Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) program. It requires the Secretary to develop a charter, contract with an external organization to analyze participant-submitted traffic safety data, protect participant data ownership and confidentiality, exempt PARTS submissions from public disclosure and the Paperwork Reduction Act, and authorizes escalating appropriations of $4M to $9M for fiscal years 2026–2030.
Transparency: FOIA and PRA exemptions versus public oversight needs
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a straightforward administrative statute that formally establishes and funds the PARTS program within DOT, provides core operational rules (charter, contracting, data protections), and grants confidentiality and PRA/FOIA exemptions.
The bill codifies the Department of Transportation’s Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) program.
It requires the Secretary to develop a charter, contract with an external organization to analyze participant-submitted traffic safety data, protect participant data ownership and confidentiality, exempt PARTS submissions from public disclosure and the Paperwork Reduction Act, and authorizes escalating appropriations of $4M to $9M for fiscal years 2026–2030.
Low-cost, technical codification with participant protections increases support; transparency exemptions are the main obstacle to unanimous support.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a straightforward administrative statute that formally establishes and funds the PARTS program within DOT, provides core operational rules (charter, contracting, data protections), and grants confidentiality and PRA/FOIA exemptions. It is reasonably well-constructed for creating an operational program but relies heavily on a forthcoming charter and contracting mechanisms for many important details.
Transparency: FOIA and PRA exemptions versus public oversight needs
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Transparency: FOIA and PRA exemptions versus public oversight needs
Generally supportive of research to improve traffic safety and of protections preventing misuse of proprietary data.
Concerned that FOIA and Paperwork Reduction Act exemptions, plus lack of required rulemaking, could reduce public oversight and accountability.
Favors codifying a collaborative safety-research program with defined governance and funding, while wanting measurable accountability and oversight.
Sees the bill as pragmatic if charter and reporting requirements are robust.
Skeptical of new federal spending and program expansion, but receptive to participant control and confidentiality protections for private data.
Concerned about precedent of exemptions from disclosure and federal encroachment on private-sector decisionmaking.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Low-cost, technical codification with participant protections increases support; transparency exemptions are the main obstacle to unanimous support.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Transparency: FOIA and PRA exemptions versus public oversight needs
Low-cost, technical codification with participant protections increases support; transparency exemptions are the main obstacle to unanimous…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a straightforward administrative statute that formally establishes and funds the PARTS program within DOT, provides core operational rules (charter, contracting, d…
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