Next Gen Road Safety Act

Overview

• Bill: H.R. 8217, the Next Gen Road Safety Act
• Session: 119th Congress
• Introduced: April 9, 2026
• Primary sponsors: Ms. Friedman (introduced for herself and Ms. Lee of Florida); co-sponsors: Ms. Laurel Lee, Mr. Shomari Figures
• Jurisdiction: United States
• Purpose: Amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand the use of COPS grants for equipment that helps prevent and de-escalate high-speed vehicular pursuits.

What the bill does

• Expands authorized uses of federal COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) grants.
• Specifically adds authorization for law enforcement agencies to procure:
  • Equipment, technology, or support systems that aid in preventing and de-escalating high-speed vehicular pursuits.
  • Examples listed in the bill include:
  • Vehicle-disabling systems
  • Police bumper systems
  • Drones
• The amendment is added to Section 1701(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, redefining paragraph (25) as an additional eligible use and adjusting formatting to connect with existing items.

Key provisions and changes

• Adds new eligible use: procurement of equipment and technologies to reduce the frequency and severity of high-speed pursuits.
• Explicitly enumerates categories such as:
  • Vehicle-disabling systems
  • Police bumper systems
  • Drones
• Recasts the legal list so that the new item flows with existing grant-eligible expenditures (ensuring alignment with prior grant parameters and administration).

Who and what is affected

• Primary impact: state and local law enforcement agencies that receive COPS funding.
• Potential beneficiaries:
  • Agencies seeking to acquire equipment to prevent or de-escalate high-speed pursuits.
  • Public safety programs focusing on pursuit-related risks to officers and civilians.
• No new funding amount is specified in the bill text; it reallocates or expands permissible uses of the existing COPS grant authority rather than creating a separate line-item appropriation.

Procedures and timeline

• Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary on April 9, 2026.
• The bill would require passage by both chambers of Congress and presidential signature to become law.
• The amendment becomes effective upon enactment, directing future and ongoing COPS grant allocations to include these new eligible uses.

Potential implications

• Safety impact: aims to reduce high-speed pursuit incidents, potentially decreasing risks to officers and civilians through de-escalation technologies and alternative enforcement tools.
• Operational considerations: agencies would evaluate trade-offs and policies around the use of vehicle-disabling systems, bumper systems, and drones, including training, oversight, privacy, and civil liberties considerations.
• Administrative: aligns new equipment authorization with existing COPS grant framework, potentially streamlining procurement processes under current grant administration.