Overview
Sara Peters is a Washington, D.C., attorney and a member of Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group. Ms. Peters has nearly 20 years of experience working in government and in the private sector on federal budget and appropriations and transportation policy.
As former deputy staff director, budget director and counsel to the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, Ms. Peters has in-depth experience in appropriations bill formulation across 12 subcommittees and in bipartisan, bicameral conference negotiations of final bills.
Ms. Peters also has significant background in the transportation industry. As deputy director for congressional affairs, policy and strategic planning at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), she was a senior liaison to Congress and other federal agencies on emerging autonomous vehicle technologies, vehicle safety rulemakings and reauthorization.
In addition, Ms. Peters served as assistant general counsel for emissions, regulatory and settlement oversight at a major automaker following government settlements related to diesel engines. She also represented other automakers in various high-profile government investigations and litigation involving vehicle safety or emissions issues.
As professional staff for the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), Ms. Peters oversaw the budgets of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and NHTSA.
In addition to her extensive experience in appropriations and the automotive industry, Ms. Peters has in-depth knowledge of environmental, energy, transportation safety and consumer product safety laws as a practicing attorney on behalf of various clients.
Representative Experience
- Advised chair, committee members and House Speaker's office on budget and policy matters throughout U.S. House of Representatives bill formulation and conference negotiations of final bills
- Drafted and negotiated provisions in continuing resolutions, national security and disaster supplementals, and final full-year appropriations bills
- Maintained committee-wide budget figures and fiscal law knowledge, supervising the policy and budget work of 12 subcommittees
- Served as counsel to Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), former chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations
- Led project teams in large-scale, parallel government investigations of vehicle manufacturers related to safety defects and emissions
- Represented automakers in high-profile consumer litigation and regulatory matters
- Briefed Congress on behalf of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on vehicle safety rulemakings, autonomous technology regulation and surface transportation reauthorization
- Prepared NHTSA and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) leadership for Congressional testimony
- Served as NHTSA's liaison to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
- As in-house counsel, worked across business functions to ensure compliance with environmental laws, settlement agreements and homologation requirements
- Advised oil and gas and midstream transportation companies in incident investigations, litigation and permitting matters on environmental, safety and commercial risks
- Assisted industrial manufacturers on environmental and safety policies and audits
- Prepared appellate and trial court motions in environmental tort cases
- Prepared engineers, scientists and technical experts for testimony in litigation
Credentials
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., cum laude
- Mississippi State University, B.A., Political Science, summa cum laude
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- 5-Star Performer Award, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2020