# Clear the ROADS Act Summary

This bill creates a financial penalty for states that don't take action against people who deliberately block highways and roads. Specifically, if a state doesn't make what the federal government considers "reasonable efforts" to stop people from knowingly obstructing traffic on major highways in ways that endanger public safety, the federal government will withhold 10 percent of the highway funding that state would normally receive. This money comes from the federal highway apportionment program, which funds road construction and maintenance projects across the country.

The bill targets situations where protesters, activists, or others intentionally block roadways to make a point or disrupt traffic, rather than people who are legitimately working on behalf of government agencies. The key phrase is that states need to prohibit individuals who are "not performing work on behalf of a Federal, State, or local government" from "knowingly and recklessly obstructing lawful vehicle transportation" in ways that endanger public safety. Starting October 1st after the Transportation Secretary writes the detailed rules for this law, states will be evaluated annually to see if they're meeting this requirement.

For everyday people, this means states will face pressure to enforce laws against highway blockades more aggressively, since losing 10 percent of federal highway funding is a significant financial hit. States that don't already have laws against this behavior will likely need to pass them, and states that have such laws will need to show they're actively enforcing them. The Transportation Secretary has 180 days from when this bill becomes law to write the specific rules explaining what counts as "reasonable efforts" and how states will be evaluated.