By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation to create a commission that would recommend ways to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Route 66, which was commissioned in 1926 as the first all-paved U.S. highway. The “Route 66 Centennial Commission Act,” S. 1014, creates a 15-person commission with representatives appointed by the president of the United States based on recommendations from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. House and Senate Republican and Democrat leaders and the Governors of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The bill provides the commission with two years from the time that each member is appointed to make recommendations to Congress for celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66. The commission may recommend the production of various written materials, films and documentaries, education programs, artistic works, commemorative memorabilia and celebrations to commemorate Route 66’s storied history.
A similar version of this bipartisan bill, H.R. 66, passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019 by a margin of 393 to 22. Because there are minor differences between the two bills, the next step will be for the House to take up S. 1014.
For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.