Purpose of this Policy Document

On December 4, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act, Public Law 114-94. It is the first law enacted in over 10 years that provides long-term funding certainty for surface transportation priorities including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) grant programs. The bill reforms and strengthens our commitment to safety, streamlines processes, and provides more flexibility for our partners.

One of the largest changes under the FAST Act is the consolidation of multiple FMCSA grant programs into the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) and High Priority (HP) Grant Programs. MCSAP and HP now include components of the previously separate New Entrant, Border Enforcement, Safety Data Improvement, Performance and Registration Information Systems Management, and Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks grant programs. The FAST Act changes the names and funding structures of these programs, but many programmatic components remain the same. The FAST Act also increases focus on accountability, performance standards, efficiency, and effectiveness while reducing administrative burdens on FMCSA grantees.

The MCSAP Comprehensive Policy (MCP) serves as a combined information resource, providing program policy, guidance, and technical assistance. It includes FMCSA’s goals, objectives, and national program elements and strategies to meet the Nation’s most urgent commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety needs.