December 15, 2025
Ms. Gillen (for herself, Mr. Lawler, and Mrs. Dingell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a competition to accelerate vehicle integration of passive, anti-drunk driving technology, with a cash prize awarded to an entity that demonstrates technology that is ready for integration into passenger motor vehicles, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Drunk Driving Prevention and Enforcement Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Findings and purpose
(a) Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
Alcohol-impaired driving is a leading cause of death and injury on our nation's roadways, with more than 12,000 people killed every year and hundreds of thousands seriously injured in drunk driving crashes annually. These deaths and injuries are 100 percent preventable.
(2)
Congress has directed the integration of passive, advanced anti-drunk driving in-vehicle technology into all new passenger motor vehicles under Section 24220 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58).
(3)
Accelerated deployment are needed to bring forward passive, consumer-ready vehicle-integrated technologies designed to prevent drunk driving.
(4)
Public-private innovation prize competitions have proven effective in spurring rapid advancements and breakthroughs in science, engineering, safety and technology.
(b) Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to establish a competitive prize award program to incentivize deployment of effective, passive, anti-drunk driving technology that is consumer-ready for integration into passenger motor vehicles.
Sec. 3. Establishment of prize competition
(a) Authority
The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall carry out a program on a competitive basis to award a cash prize that the Secretary determines is appropriate to recognize outstanding achievement in the development of passive, advanced anti-drunk driving technology to—
(1)
implement the adoption of breath-based, touch-based, or other sensor technology to prevent drivers with a blood alcohol concentration at or above the legal limit from operating a vehicle; or
(2)
install consumer-ready, passive, advanced anti-drunk driving technologies in vehicles to eliminate drunk driving.
(b) Competition requirements
The program established under subsection (a) shall—
(1)
use a competitive process for the selection of a recipient of a cash prize;
(2)
include the widely advertised solicitation of submissions;
(3)
make available a prize purse of not less than $45,000,000 to be awarded to the winner of the competition who is able to demonstrate consumer-ready, passive, advanced anti-drunk driving technology for vehicle integration; and
(4)
be open to individuals, private sector entities, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and consortia thereof.
(c) Relationship to other authority
The program established under subsection (a) may be carried out in conjunction with, or in addition to, the exercise of any other authority of the Department of Transportation.
(d) Authorization of appropriations
For the purposes of carrying out this Act, including the prize purse, administration, evaluation, and outreach, there is authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) $50,000,000 to remain available until expended, except that such amount may not be expended after the last day of fiscal year 2028.
(e) Congressional notice
(1) In general
Not later than 15 days after a cash prize has been awarded under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate written notice of such award.
(2) Contents
Each notice submitted under paragraph (1) shall include—
(A)
a description of the technology development for which the cash prize was awarded;
(B)
the outcomes and benefits that the competition winner anticipates generating; and
(C)
recommendations for further accelerating deployment of anti-drunk driving technology.
(f) Reporting requirement
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that contains—
(1)
details on the results of the program; and
(2)
additional steps the Department can take to ensure vehicle integration continues at a rapid pace, including through implementation of section 24220 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58).
Sec. 4. NHTSA Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence
(a) In general
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish a Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence within the Department of Transportation, to provide leadership and technical assistance to States and law enforcement agencies to maximize efficient and effective ways to conduct traffic safety enforcement of hazardous driving behaviors with the goal to reduce fatalities and injuries on the roads of the United States.
(b) Duties
The Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence established under subsection (a) shall—
(1)
serve as a central location within the Department of Transportation for expertise in traffic safety enforcement;
(2)
provide State highway safety offices and law enforcement agencies across the country with centralized expertise, tools, and support;
(3)
promote evidence-based strategies on what works in hazardous driving behavior enforcement, including targeted, cost-effective drunk-driving patrols, speed enforcement best practices, and coordinated traffic safety campaigns proven to reduce roadway fatalities and injuries;
(4)
establish best-practice protocols for enforcement operations, with the goal of improving outcomes based on data and research;
(5)
develop and deliver standardized training on the use of data for hot spot detection, drug-impaired driving enforcement strategies, speed management, and other risk mitigation of death and injury on public roads;
(6)
assist States and agencies in using real-time data systems to identify high-crash corridors and target enforcement resources in the most efficient ways;
(7)
help agencies assess current enforcement practices and identify gaps;
(8)
provide recommendations for hazardous driving behavior enforcement plans based on crash data and local context;
(9)
assist agencies in using limited resources more efficiently through data-driven deployment and risk-based enforcement;
(10)
help States fully leverage programs under sections 402 and 405 of title 23, United States Code, by providing technical assistance on program development and design and outcome measurement tools;
(11)
launch model demonstration projects in States or cities to test new roadside technologies, data-driven deployment models, new enforcement strategies (such as those targeting drug-impaired driving), and share results nationally to help with the adoption of effective tools;
(12)
serve as a national convener for State highway safety offices, law enforcement agencies, traffic safety researchers, victims and survivors, and public health and traffic safety leaders;
(13)
collaborate with, and provide support on, traffic safety enforcement to all operating administrations of the Department of Transportation; and
(14)
have a workforce composed of Department of Transportation employees, including direct hires or detailees from operating administrations of the Department of Transportation, Department of Justice, and other Federal agencies.
(c) Rule of construction
The Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence shall not supersede laws or regulations granting certification authorities to Operating Administrations of the Department of Transportation.
(d) Report on staffing needs
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall report to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on staffing needs and the staffing plan for the Traffic Safety Enforcement Center of Excellence.
(e) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter to carry out this section.
Sec. 5. National drug involved crash data collection system
(a) Purpose
The purpose of this section is to track and analyze the role of drugs in serious injury and fatal traffic crashes, supporting enforcement, prevention, and research.
(b) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Drug involved crash
The term drug involved crash
means a crash causing serious injury or death in which 1 or more drivers test positive for impairing substances other than alcohol.
(2) Impairing substance
The term impairing substance
means prescription, over-the-counter, controlled, or illicit psychoactive drugs affecting driving.
(3) State
The term State
means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
(c) Establishment
The Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall establish a national drug involved crash data collection system to—
(1)
collect standardized toxicology data from States for fatal and serious injury crashes;
(2)
link crash data with medical, coroner, hospital, and emergency medical services records;
(3)
provide model protocols for specimen collection, testing, and reporting;
(4)
operate sentinel sites in multiple States to pilot enhanced data collection; and
(5)
report annually to Congress and the public on trends, substance types, and geographic patterns.
(d) State grants
(1) In general
The Administrator may award grants to States for toxicology labs, specimen collection, training, data systems, and data linkage.
(2) Prioritization
In awarding grants under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall prioritize States that contain high-fatality, rural, or underserved areas.
(3) Non-Federal funds
The Administrator may require a non-Federal match from a State to be eligible for a grant under this subsection unless the State demonstrates hardship.
(e) Implementation timeline
(1) Model protocols
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall publish the model protocols required under subsection (c)(3).
(2) Sentinel sites
The Administrator shall ensure that the sentinel sites required under subsection (c)(3) are operational not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
(3) Submission of data
The Administrator shall ensure that the system established under this section has begun collecting standardized toxicology data from States for fatal and serious injury crashes beginning not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
(f) Privacy protections
Any data made available to the public pursuant to this section shall be deidentified before and used in compliance with Federal and State privacy laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–191), as applicable.
(g) Authorization
There is authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to carry out this section.