S. 1442 — Combating Trafficking in Transportation Act

This section expands eligible projects under the Local and Regional Project Assistance Program (49 U.S.C. 6702)—a competitive grant program primarily for surface transportation improvements benefiting areas of persistent poverty, rural areas, and Tribal lands—(1) to include projects to procure and install human trafficking awareness signage at rest stops and welcome centers along the Interstate System and (2) to exempt such projects from the generally applicable requirements of 6702(c)(2)(A) and (B). The section further makes such signage projects eligible activities under the surface transportation block grant program (23 U.S.C. 133(b)).

This section modifies the Department of Transportation advisory committee on human trafficking, established by the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act (P.L. 115-99), by (1) increasing the number of committee members to 16 (from 15); and (2) adding a representative from state departments of transportation as a required member category. It further directs the Secretary to appoint the state department of transportation representative not later than nine months after enactment of the Combating Trafficking in Transportation Act.