BUILD America 250 Act Would Require Restroom Access for Drivers

The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee passed a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill that would require facilities to grant truck drivers access to restrooms when they are delivering goods or waiting to be loaded.

When would the restroom access requirement take effect?

The BUILD America 250 Act passed the House committee as of May 28, 2026. The bill still faces a full House vote, Senate consideration, and presidential signature before any provisions become law. No effective date has been set because the legislation has not been enacted.

The restroom provision is one of several trucking-focused measures in the five-year funding bill. The legislation would also establish a grant program for truck parking, require more transparency in lease agreements, and allocate funding for roads and bridges.

What the restroom mandate would cover

The bill would require facilities to provide restroom access to drivers who are on-site for deliveries or waiting to be loaded. The text does not specify enforcement mechanisms, penalties for non-compliance, or whether the mandate applies to all facility types or only those receiving federal funding.

Drivers currently face inconsistent restroom access at warehouses, distribution centers, and loading docks. Some facilities bar drivers from entering buildings entirely. Others require drivers to use portable toilets in parking lots or drive off-site to find public restrooms, which can violate hours-of-service (HOS = hours of service) rules if the facility is not near a truck stop.

Industry reaction

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA = Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association) and the American Trucking Associations (ATA = American Trucking Associations) both praised the bill. Specific quotes from either organization were not included in the source material.

Trucking industry groups have pushed for restroom access mandates for years. The issue gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic when facilities closed restrooms to outside visitors, forcing drivers to idle in parking lots or violate HOS rules to find facilities.

Truck parking grant program

The BUILD America 250 Act would establish a federal grant program for truck parking. The bill does not specify dollar amounts for the program or eligibility criteria for states, municipalities, or private operators applying for grants.

Federal truck parking funding has been a recurring issue in surface transportation bills. The current authorization expires in 2026, and Congress is working to pass a new multi-year bill before the deadline.

Lease transparency provision

The bill would require more transparency in lease agreements. The provision likely targets lease-purchase agreements between carriers and drivers, which have been the subject of regulatory scrutiny and lawsuits over hidden fees, maintenance cost pass-throughs, and contract terms that leave drivers in debt.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA = Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) has existing truth-in-leasing regulations at 49 CFR 376, but enforcement has been inconsistent. The BUILD America 250 Act provision may strengthen disclosure requirements or add penalties for lease violations.

What happens next

The bill passed the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee but must clear the full House, the Senate, and the White House before any provision becomes law. Surface transportation reauthorizations typically take months to negotiate because they involve funding formulas, state allocations, and policy riders that attract amendments from dozens of members.

The trucking provisions in the BUILD America 250 Act are not guaranteed to survive. Restroom access, truck parking grants, and lease transparency rules could be stripped in committee, amended on the floor, or dropped in conference negotiations with the Senate.

Carriers and owner-operators should not change operations or compliance procedures based on the House committee vote. The bill is not law. No effective dates, enforcement mechanisms, or regulatory guidance exist yet.

What to watch

Track the bill's progress through the House floor vote, Senate committee markup, and conference committee. If the restroom provision survives and the bill is enacted, FMCSA or the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA = Federal Highway Administration) will likely issue guidance on which facilities are covered, what constitutes compliance, and how drivers can report violations.

For now, drivers facing restroom access issues at facilities should document the problem (time, location, facility name) and report it to their carrier's safety department. OOIDA maintains a list of facilities with poor driver treatment, and some carriers use that data when negotiating contracts with shippers.

The BUILD America 250 Act is a five-year authorization. If enacted, the restroom mandate, truck parking grants, and lease transparency rules would remain in effect through 2031 unless amended by a future Congress.