Motor Carrier Safety Assistance
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
State, local safety departments, and educational research institutions where appropriate, to address CMV crashes. If the MCSAP lead agency is engaging in partnership efforts with other State, local agencies, or educational research institutions FMCSA asks they ensure it is accurately reflected within their Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP).
In response to IIJA requirements, the Crash Causal Factors Program (CCFP) has been established to carry out a comprehensive study to determine the causes of, and contributing factors to, crashes that involve a commercial motor vehicle. The CCFP is an evolutionary safety initiative moving from a crashworthiness to crash avoidance focus. Current data collections tend to be focused on the survivability of crashes, but the CCFP will provide critical insights into causal factors contributing to these crashes thereby enabling identification and development of appropriate countermeasures to reduce the occurrence of CMV crashes. While FMCSA is currently merging and analyzing available datasets (e.g., from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), FMCSA) to gain a more complete picture of crashes, no existing dataset adequately captures all important causal factors. The upcoming CCFP will fill this gap, allowing FMCSA to identify the key factors that contribute to CMV crashes.
Program Objective
The Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) is a Federal formula grant program that provides financial assistance to States to reduce the number and severity of crashes and hazardous materials incidents involving commercial motor vehicles (CMV). The goal of the MCSAP is to reduce CMV-involved crashes, fatalities, and injuries through consistent, uniform, and effective CMV safety programs. Investing grant monies in appropriate safety programs will increase the likelihood that safety defects, driver deficiencies, and unsafe motor carrier practices will be detected and corrected before they become contributing factors to crashes.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- U.S. State Government
- State
- Territorial
All States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are eligible for MCSAP. The MCSAP grants are provided annually to the State’s MCSAP lead agency. A MCSAP lead agency is designated by the Governor as the State motor vehicle safety agency responsible for administering the Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP) within the State. The CVSP is also known in statute and regulation as the “Plan” and serves as the MCSAP grant program application, project plan, and budget.
How to Apply
Award Procedure
90-120 days of the submission deadline (subject to availability of funds) or as soon thereafter as administratively practicable.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 30 to 60 days
- Appeal: From 30 to 60 days
The FMCSA will notify the State, in writing, within 30 days of receipt of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP) whether:
(1) the plan is approved;
(2) Approval of the plan is withheld because the CVSP does not meet the requirements, or is not adequate to ensure effective enforcement of the FMCSRs and HMRs or compatible State laws and regulations, (a) If approval is withheld, the State will have 30 days from the date of the notice to modify and resubmit the plan, or (b) disapproval of a resubmitted plan is final.
Program details & compliance
Description
The goal of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) MCSAP as provided in statute is to ensure that the Secretary of Transportation, States, and U.S. Territories work in partnership to establish and maintain programs that improve motor carrier, commercial motor vehicle (CMV), and driver safety and support an efficient surface transportation system by:
(1) Making targeted investments to promote safe CMV transportation, including the transportation of passengers and hazardous materials;
(2) Investing in activities likely to generate maximum reductions in the number and severity of CMV crashes and in fatalities resulting from such crashes;
(3) Adopting and enforcing effective and compatible (as defined in § 350.105) motor carrier, CMV, and driver safety laws, regulations, standards, and order; and
(4) Assessing and improving State-wide performance of motor carrier, CMV, and driver safety by setting program goals and meeting performance standards and measures.
Mission Categories
Primary: Highways, Public Roads, and Bridges
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
The primary MCSAP activities eligible for reimbursement include the National Program Elements currently outlined in 49 CFR § 350.109: 1. Driver and Vehicle Inspections; 2. Traffic Enforcement; 3. Compliance Reviews, Carrier Interventions, Investigations, and New Entrant Safety Audits; 4. Public Education and Awareness; 5. Data Collection Part 350 is currently being revised to include changes required by the FAST Act. Additional elements will include: 1. New entrant safety audits, 2. Border enforcement activities; 3. Data Quality; 4. PRISM; 5. ITD (operations and maintenance only) Other activities eligible for reimbursement to enforce other laws include: Sanitary food transportation inspections performed under 49 U.S.C. § 5701; and the following activities, when carried out in conjunction with an appropriate North American Standard (NAS) inspection of a CMV and inspection report: Enforcement of CMV size and weight limitations at locations, excluding fixed-weight facilities, such as near steep grades or mountainous terrains, where the weight of a CMV can significantly affect the safe operation of the vehicle, or at ports where intermodal shipping containers enter and leave the United States. Detection of and enforcement actions taken as a result of criminal activity; including trafficking of human beings, in a CMV or by any occupant, including the operator, of the CMV. For documented enforcement of State traffic laws and regulations designed to promote the safe operation of CMVs. This includes documented enforcement of such laws and regulations relating to non-CMVs when necessary to promote the safe operation of CMVs, if (1) the number of motor carrier safety activities (including roadside safety inspections) conducted in the State is maintained at a level at least equal to the average level of such activities conducted in the State in fiscal years 2004 and 2005; and 2) A State may not use more than 10% of the amount of MCSAP Basic funds the State receives for enforcement activities relating to non-CMVs necessary to promote the safe operation of CMVs unless the FMCSA Administrator determines that a higher percentage will result in significant increases in CMV safety.
Required Documentation
A State lead MCSAP agency, as designated by its Governor, must self-certify that it will meet the conditions in 49 CFR Part 350.201. These conditions can be found on the FMCSA website at: www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/350.201
2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.
Matching Requirements
85 Federal, 15 State. The FMCSA has waived the requirement for matching funds to be provided by the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements
Formula
Statutory Formula: Title Chapter Part Subpart Public Law 49 U.S.C. §§ 31102(a)-(k), 31104 (2016), as amended. See 49 CFR part 350, as amended. States agree to adopt and enforce 49 CFR parts 390-397 and 107 (subparts F and G only), 171–173, 177, 178 & 180.