WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, chairman of the Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Subcommittee, predicted today’s approval of the Surface Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2005 by the full Commerce, Transportation and Science Committee “will save countless lives and reduce injuries on the nation’s highways.”

Lott said he hopes the Congress will finalize a conference report on the legislation by the end of May when the current extension expires and in time for states to begin awarding contracts.

During Thursday’s mark up of the bill, Lott, a persistent advocate for its passage in the 108th Congress, lamented that the reauthorization of many of the Department of Transportation’s most important safety programs, including trucking and bus safety, highway and vehicle safety, and hazardous material safety, should have been completed almost two years ago.

“Unfortunately, due to disputes about funding related to the highway construction and transit programs, these programs have simply been extended for short periods of time,” Lott said. “Programs as important as these should not be authorized through a series of stop-gap measures. They should be authorized for multi-year periods so that DOT and the states, which have to administer these programs can do so with certainty about funding and project approvals.”

Lott noted that the bill contains an incentive of $9.2 million in additional federal funds for the State of Mississippi, similar to that offered to other states, if it passes a primary seat belt law.

The bill also includes provisions to protect consumers from fraud in the household goods moving industry, and it reauthorizes boat safety and sport fish programs.

Lott became chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee at the beginning of the 109th Congress, and this bill is the first major legislation to be reported out of that jurisdiction this year.