The National School Transportation Association began its annual Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C., where participants engage in 230 individual meetings with congressional representatives to discussion issues of importance to private school bus contractors.
Specifically, NSTA said its members are attending the annual “Bus-In” to raise “critical” issues related to a proposed rulemaking issued in February by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on safety fitness determination of motor carriers and annual funding for the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program, which recently was proposed at $100 million a year over the next five. Meanwhile, the current 2016 fiscal year DERA grant program is funding emissions and replacement projects to a tune of $26 million.
“Two days in our nation’s Capitol addressing our most pressing legislative issues as a group and as individuals is critical to our success as an association,” said NSTA President Todd Monteferrario.
Participants are meeting with House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA), Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN), Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and others. NSTA members are also holding committee and board meetings.
