SCR 180

UNOFFICIAL COPY  26 RS BR 2544
1A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION establishing the Commercial Motor Vehicle
2 Task Force.
3WHEREAS, in 2024, there were 707 total Kentucky roadway fatalities and 82 of
4 those fatal crashes involved a commercial motor vehicle (CMV); and
5WHEREAS, in 2024, there were 3,434 Kentucky roadway crashes involving a
6 CMV that were attributed to driver inattention and distraction, which includes cell phone
7 use, looking away from the road, daydreaming, and looking at roadside events; and
8WHEREAS, failure to yield was involved in over 807 Kentucky CMV crashes in
9 2024. At highway speeds, a CMV failing to yield when merging, changing lanes, or
10 entering traffic creates catastrophic consequences; and
11WHEREAS, mechanical failures contributed to over 200 serious truck crashes in
12 2024 with tire blowouts and brake failures as the leading mechanical causes; and
13WHEREAS, driver behavior, mechanical failures, and motor carrier negligence are
14 the primary causes of crashes involving CMVs; and
15WHEREAS, on July 20, 2025, one such tragic crash occurred when Tristan
16 Markese York, a vibrant 16 year old from Berea, was killed in a traffic catastrophe when
17 a semi-truck rearended the pickup truck driven by his father, throwing Tristan from the
18 vehicle. The impact also severely injured his father and sister. The investigation
19 following the accident showed that the semi-truck driver did not engage his brakes prior
20 to the accident; and
21WHEREAS, the passing of Tristan Markese York Brown demonstrates that
22 oversight of CMVs is a critical step to ensuring the safety of everyone on the road;
23NOW, THEREFORE,
24 Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
25 Kentucky, the House of Representatives concurring therein:
26Section 1.        The Legislative Research Commission shall establish the
27 Commercial Motor Vehicle Task Force. The task force shall study and make
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1 recommendations regarding:
2(1)    Driver-related causes of CMV crashes, including inattention, distraction,
3 fatigue, hours of service violations, failure to yield, improper clearance, and drug
4 impairment;
5(2)    Commercial motor vehicle mechanical failures;
6(3)    Motor carrier negligence;
7(4)    Roadside screening and enforcement tools;
8(5)    Multistate, cross-sector safety partnerships; and
9(6)    Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration research and implementation
10 updates.
11Section 2.        The task force shall be composed of the following members, with
12 final membership of the task force being subject to the consideration and approval of the
13 Legislative Research Commission:
14(1)    Four members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate, one of
15 whom shall be designated by the President of the Senate as a co-chair of the task force;
16(2)    Four members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of
17 the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be designated by the Speaker of the
18 House of Representatives as a co-chair of the task force;
19(3)    One member of the Senate, appointed by the Minority Floor Leader of the
20 Senate;
21(4)    One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Minority
22 Floor Leader of the House of Representatives;
23(5)    The executive director of the Office of Highway Safety or the executive
24 director's designee;
25(6)    The commander of the Department of Kentucky State Police Division of
26 Commercial Vehicle Enforcement or the commander's designee; and
27(7)    One member representing the motor carrier industry, appointed jointly by the
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1 Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate.
2Section 3. The task force shall meet as necessary during the 2026 Interim of the
3 General Assembly. The task force shall submit findings and recommendations to the
4 Legislative Research Commission for referral to the appropriate committee or committees
5 by December 1, 2026.
6Section 4.        Provisions of this Resolution to the contrary notwithstanding, the
7 Legislative Research Commission shall have the authority to alternatively assign the
8 issues identified herein to an interim joint committee or subcommittee thereof, and to
9 designate a study completion date.
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