HR6778-119

What This Bill Does

The Parkway Safety and Reinvestment Act authorizes automated speed enforcement on highways administered by the Secretary of the Interior within National Park System units. If a speed safety camera records a vehicle violating an applicable traffic regulation, the Secretary may issue a citation and, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the record, assess a civil penalty. Unlike ordinary receipts, citation revenue can be collected and spent without later appropriations for construction and maintenance of covered park highways and parking facilities and for installing, repairing, and maintaining speed safety cameras. Interior may contract with private parties to install, repair, maintain, or replace the cameras. The authority is limited by State law: Interior may use a speed safety camera only in accordance with the law of the State where that portion of covered highway is located. The bill defines covered highway, highway, speed safety camera, speed safety camera citation, Secretary, and State.

Who Benefits and How

National Park Service road managers benefit from an enforcement tool and a dedicated revenue stream for park highway, parking, and camera infrastructure. Park visitors, nearby residents, cyclists, pedestrians, and wildlife benefit if automated enforcement reduces speeding on park roads. Speed camera vendors and maintenance contractors benefit from potential Interior contracts. State governments benefit because federal camera use must follow the applicable State speed-camera law.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Drivers who speed on covered park highways face citations and civil penalties after notice and hearing rights. Interior and National Park Service staff must administer camera placement, citations, hearings, revenue collection, spending, contracts, repairs, maintenance, and State-law compliance. Contractors must meet federal contract and technical requirements. Federal taxpayers and park users may bear administrative costs not fully covered by citation revenue.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes Interior to issue speed-camera citations and civil penalties on covered National Park System highways.
• Provides notice and an opportunity for a hearing before civil penalties are assessed.
• Allows citation revenue to be spent without further appropriation on park roads, parking facilities, and camera systems.
• Authorizes contracts for speed camera installation, repair, maintenance, and replacement.
• Requires federal speed camera use to comply with State law where the covered highway is located.