[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] Highway Bill Would Expand Access to Truck Parking House Legislation Also Invests in Roads and Bridges, Includes Provisions on Cargo Theft, Safety and Autonomous Trucks Senior Reporter Key Takeaways: - The BUILD America 250 Act would establish a grant program to improve access to commercial truck parking. - The legislation includes a federal policy framework for the safe deployment of autonomous trucks. - The bill would establish registration fees for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids to create new revenue for the Highway Trust Fund. WASHINGTON — A $580 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill under House consideration would require the Department of Transportation to establish a grant program aimed at expanding parking access for commercial vehicles. The legislation, formally titled the BUILD America 250 Act, would direct the transportation secretary to move forward with grants for projects designed to increase the availability or use of truck parking, facilitate freight movement and improve highway safety. Eligible applicants would be required to demonstrate the ability to help maintain and operate such facilities. Expanding access to truck parking has long been a top priority for freight stakeholders. American Trucking Associations has repeatedly warned that insufficient parking threatens safety and efficiency across the industry. Spear “The highway bill has always been a bipartisan product, and it is encouraging to see Republicans and Democrats coming together prior to the Sept. 30 deadline to expand truck parking, enforce safety rules and take additional steps that will strengthen our industry,” ATA President Chris Spear said in response to the measure’s introduction. “ATA is committed to being a constructive partner throughout the legislative process.” The American Transportation Research Institute has consistently ranked insufficient truck parking availability among the industry’s most pressing concerns. Truck parking projects received a boost