The U.S. House of Representatives has advanced a trio of stretch limousine safety provisions that were proposed in the wake of a crash in Schoharie County that killed 20 people, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko on Friday said. 

The proposals are meant to build on a package of sweeping limousine safety regulations proposed soon after the limousine crash in 2018. 

The measures include a grant program meant to incentivize states to implement a performance and registration management program that requires the impoundment or immobilizations of passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicles that were found to have significant safety problems. 

Another provision would require drivers of limousines to hold a commercial driver's license for passenger carriers. And the third proposal would require state inspection of passenger-carrying commercial vehicles. 

“More than two years ago, I stood with my New York colleagues to introduce bold, bipartisan legislation that would raise the bar on limousine safety so we can prevent tragedies like the deadly crash in Schoharie, NY, where 20 souls lost their lives in an unsafe vehicle that should never have been on the road," Rep. Tonko said in a statement. “Their family members and those of other victims have been the inspiration and a powerful driving force backing our work to write and push for these commonsense reforms. As millions of vaccinated Americans start getting back to planning weddings, sending kids to school dances and traveling for other celebratory events, any further delay in advancing these lifesaving measures will leave countless of our friends and loved ones at risk of another preventable tragedy."