Safe Routes Improvement Act

The Safe Routes Improvement Act would amend federal highway law (Title 23) to require every state to designate a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Coordinator. The coordinator would serve as the state’s point of contact for the SRTS program and would have duties limited to those authorized by Congress. States may designate an existing employee as the coordinator, must publish the coordinator’s contact information on their department of transportation website, and must fill any vacancy within 180 days. The bill allows states to use existing program funds (sections 133(h) or 148) to pay the coordinator’s salary. It also includes a conforming amendment that removes a prior paragraph of the existing statute. The overall aim is to formalize and streamline state-level coordination for SRTS activities without creating new funding or broadening the coordinator’s duties beyond what Congress authorizes.