The National Safety Council asked the U.S. House Appropriations Committee to remove language from pending legislation that would prohibit states from using federal funds for automated enforcement programs. The provision affects red light and speed safety camera programs in school zones and work zones.
NSC sent a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies on Nov. 3. The organization wants the restrictive language stripped from the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.
The House Appropriations Committee passed the bill on July 17, 2025, and sent it to the full House for consideration.
Current federal funding program
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 allows states to use federal funds through the Section 402 State and Community Highway Safety Grant program for automated enforcement programs. The funding applies specifically to school zones and work zones.
Half of U.S. states plus the District of Columbia currently use the funds to improve traffic safety. NSC also asked for greater flexibility to allow states to use funds beyond school and work zones to other problem areas, including high-injury networks.
Economic and safety impact
“This provision is incredibly shortsighted, not supported by the recommendations of expert agencies such as NHTSA and FHWA, and puts the public at increasing unmitigated danger on our roads,” wrote Lorraine Martin, NSC CEO, in the letter. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and Federal Highway Administration have recommended automated enforcement as a safety measure.
Martin added: “With constraints facing states in traffic safety programming and enforcement, Congress should not eliminate a vital tool states are using in their multipronged approach to keep the traveling public safe.”
Speeding-related deaths
In 2023, speeding contributed to 29 per cent of all traffic fatalities. The crashes resulted in 11,775 deaths across the country.
Traffic crashes cost the U.S. economy $513.8 billion annually. The economic impact includes lost productivity, medical costs and property damage that affects businesses and workers nationwide.
The National Safety Council is a nonprofit safety organization that has operated for over 110 years. The group focuses on eliminating preventable deaths and injuries in workplaces and on roadways.
