Update, 12/12: The House has passed the bill. Click here to read CCJ’s coverage.
Update, 12/11: Though certain elements of the 1,600-page omnibus spending bill have caused members of Congress on both sides of the political aisle to voice their disapproval of the bill’s passage, the bill is still expected to clear both chambers of Congress this week. However, some reports have indicated Congress is preparing a stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown, in case the omnibus does not come to a vote or does not pass. If that happens, the passage of the omnibus — and the language to rollback the restart provisions — could be in jeopardy.
After nearly a year and a half of asking Congress for it, the trucking industry might have gotten its wish Tuesday evening: A potential rollback of some of the more restrictive elements of FMCSA’s 2013-implemented hours-of-service rule for truck operators.
Congress likely will send a bill to the White House in the coming days that includes a provision that will put a stay on enforcement of two key elements of the 2013 rule: The requirement that a driver’s 34-hour restart include two 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. periods and the provision limiting the use of the restart to one time per week. The suspension of enforcement will last at least until Sept. 30, 2015.
If the $1.1 trillion spending bill — which prevents a government shutdown and funds most government departments through next September — passes both chambers of Congress and President Obama signs the bill into law, enforcement of those provisions shall be halted immediately, according to the bill.
The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, as the bill is called, was produced by the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday night, and it has received praise from the Senate Appropriations committee, too.
