Earlier in February, New York Rep. Paul Tonko appeared on Blog Talk Radio’s “Truth About Trucking” Show to talk about the latest developments on H.R. 2156, a.k.a. Jason’s Law. If passed, Jason’s Law would fund the creation of long-term parking facilities for truckers in areas of the country where they are needed most. The bill is named after truck driver Jason Rivenburg of Fultonham, New York, who in March 2009 was shot and killed while resting at what he considered a safe parking spot in St. Matthews, South Carolina.

Tonko says the bill is enjoying broad bipartisan support, with 30-plus sponsors from Representatives all over the nation. He told “Truth About Trucking” that having safe parking facilities and transportation infrastructure benefits not only truck drivers, but also the general public. He called it “an across the board win, and that’s why were are getting more and more support for the measure.”

Funding for the law would come from the Highway Trust Fund, with $20 million dollars allocated each year over the course of approximately five years.

“In terms of a safety measure, who wants to put a price tag on the value of someone losing their life like Jason did because we didn’t have a safe parking spot for our nation’s truckers?,” says Tonko.

Click here to listen to the full interview.