That deadline likely will be changed as the bill progresses, however, given that there’s no chance the legislation will clear Congress today and be signed into law by the president.
As noted in CCJ‘s prior coverage of the bill and its notable hours-of-service reform, the bill still has major hurdles to clear before being enacted, including passage on the Senate floor and reconciliation with the House’s version of a Transportation and House and Urban Development bill, should the two differ.
Either way, the Senate’s message is clear: Proponents of a speed limiter mandate, like some trucking lobbyists and so-called safety advocacy groups, appear tired of the DOT dragging its feet in getting the proposed rule published and have asked Congress to intervene.
For nearly two years, the DOT has issued a report each month indicating the rule is weeks away from publication. Despite those reports, the rule’s been snared by the regulatory process for some time. Granted, the rule’s slow progression is a positive for owner-operators and other truckers who oppose the rule.
The DOT and its subagency developing the rule, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, may not be entirely to blame for the rule’s delay, though.
The DOT worked efficiently on the rule in 2014 before sending it to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget for final approval. The rule’s been hung up at the OMB for nearly a year now. The OMB typically is required to give its stamp of approval on such rulemakings within 90 days. A note added last summer to the rule’s listing in the OMB’s regulatory dashboard says the rule’s review has been “extended,” but offers no insight as to why or how long the review’s extension is.
