Dear Supporters,

On February 3, 2026, President Trump signed H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 into law.  Incorporated by reference in this law is H. Rept. 119-212 - DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2026.  (https://www.congress.gov/committee-report/119th-congress/house-report/212/1)

Within this Report, is the following text:

Headlight brightness.--The Committee urges the Secretary of 
Transportation to report to Congress on what gaps may exist 
related to the impact of the brightness of low beam headlamps 
on the vision and safety of drivers, pedestrians, and other 
road users, including the effect of varied terrain, including 
hills and curves.

This is the amendment from Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in 2025 which was passed by the House Appropriations Committee.  This text is now law.

What does this mean for us?  Well, the text is merely a suggestion, which means that it is discretionary and can be completely ignored.  To keep NHTSA from ignoring this paragraph completely, we can write to government officials.  You can write to DOT Secretary Sean Duffy at (opl@dot.gov).  You can notify local media.  You can follow up with your Representative in Congress.  What we need next is for some type of announcement from NHTSA stating that they agree to create this report.

For as small a paragraph as this is and for merely being a suggestion, this is still a major milestone for us.

Sincerely,

Mark Baker
President
Soft Lights Foundation
www.softlights.org
mbaker@softlights.org
X: @softlights_org
Bluesky: @softlights-org.bsky.social