WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Collins, Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee has adopted a provision to ensure that summer camps providing interstate transportation as an incidental part of their business are not treated as transportation service providers. The provision was adopted within the Fiscal Year 2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill and must now be considered by the full Senate.

Current law treats Maine summer camp operators as though they are commercial interstate bus companies simply because they offer transportation, such as to and from the airport, as an available service to their campers. These burdensome regulations even go so far as to require camps to offer continuous services and post prices and schedules to the public or lose their operating authority.

“It makes no sense for a van that is used in the summer months to pick up campers at the airport to be subject to the same regulations as a year-round interstate transportation service such as Greyhound or Trailways,” said Senator Collins. “This provision would provide substantial relief for Maine summer camp operators who are being crushed by burdensome regulations.”

In April, Senator Collins questioned Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx regarding these regulations.