WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate has approved transportation appropriations including 22 new safety provisions Mexican trucks will have to meet before being permitted to travel the U.S.

The new provisions approved by the Senate are tougher than those approved by the House last month and could potentially stall President Bush’s plan to give full access to U.S. highways by Jan. 1.

The Bill is expected to move to the Senate-House conference to be negotiated before it is passed on to President Bush, after summer recess, scheduled to begin this weekend.

The Bush administration says the president will veto the bill over the issue of Mexican trucks should the legislation reach his desk.

The Senate Bill would give Mexican trucks access, but would set the safety bar higher than it is for new entrants in the U.S. trucking industry.