House passes Funding Bill that bars the DOT from eliminating the 30-minute Break Rule

On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2020 government funding bill. Stipulations were placed on this bill that requires motor carrier’s ratings with the DOT’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program to be made public within 6 months.

The stipulations placed on this bill, H.R. 3055, were fought by the House Rules Committee but put in place regardless.

Hours of Service Provision

The Hours of Service (HOS) provision will likely face pushback from the transportation industry. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was set to release a new “flexible” HOS ruling June 7 but was delayed awaiting approval.

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been reviewing the FMCSA’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) since late March and has yet to approve the document.

The FMCSA is focusing on 4 key areas under the HOS regulations:

  • Expanding the current 100 air-mile “short-haul” exemption from 12 to 14 hours on-duty
  • Adding up to 2 hours to the current 14 hour on-duty limitation for drivers that encounter adverse driving conditions
  • Revision of the 30 minute break rule at the 8 hour driving mark
  • Allowing the option for splitting up required 10 hour off-duty rest break for drivers operating a truck with a sleeper-berth compartment.

The 2020 government funding bill bars the Department of Transportation (DOT) from removing the 30-minute break rule from the current HOS Regulations.

U.S. House’s 2020 Government Funding Bill

Also included in the House’s Funding Bill are:

  • a provision barring the DOT from issuing decisions on carrier exemptions from state-level laws requiring rest and meal breaks.
  • ELD waiver granted to livestock and insect haulers allowing them to continue using paper logs through September of 2020.

The policy must clear the Senate, be signed by President Trump and if necessary, go to discussion between the House and Senate before it is finalized and becomes law.

Leave a Reply