Bill Summary
The Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act is a bill that aims to modify the existing hours of service regulations for drivers transporting certain live animals. The bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to amend the regulations to ensure that drivers of commercial motor vehicles transporting covered animals within a 300 air-mile radius are not required to include certain non-driving activities in their on-duty time, such as waiting to be dispatched, loading or unloading the vehicle, or giving or receiving receipts for shipments. It also modifies the maximum driving time for these drivers to 15-18 hours within a 24-hour period, with the option to take rest breaks during the trip. After completing the trip, the driver must take a break for 5 hours less than the maximum driving time. If the driver is within 150 air-miles of the delivery point, they may continue driving for an additional 2 hours. The bill also exempts these drivers from the 10-hour rest period requirement. The term "covered animal" is defined in the bill to include livestock, honey bees, insects, fish, and crawfish.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation may affect truck drivers who transport livestock or other covered animals. They may have to modify their driving schedules and take more rest breaks in order to comply with the new regulations.
2. Farmers and other individuals who rely on the transportation of livestock or covered animals may experience delays or disruptions in the delivery of their goods due to the changes in driving hours for truck drivers.
3. The cost of transporting livestock or covered animals may increase for both producers and consumers, as truck drivers may have to make more trips or take longer routes in order to comply with the new regulations.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 487 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 487
To require the Secretary of Transportation to modify provisions
relating to hours of service requirements with respect to
transportation of certain live animals, and for other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 10, 2019
Mr. Yoho (for himself, Mr. Peterson, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Weber of Texas,
Mr. Gosar, Mr. Walker, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Fortenberry,
Mr. Cole, Mr. Smith of Missouri, Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Mullin,
Mr. Thornberry, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Meadows, Mr. Fleischmann, Mr. Palazzo,
Mr. Comer, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Gianforte, Mrs. Walorski, Mr.
Buck, Mr. Webster of Florida, Mr. Davidson of Ohio, Mrs. Hartzler, Mr.
Lucas, and Mr. Rouzer) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Transportation to modify provisions
relating to hours of service requirements with respect to
transportation of certain live animals, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Transporting Livestock Across
America Safely Act''.
SEC. 2. HOURS OF SERVICE REGULATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION OF CERTAIN
ANIMALS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall amend part
395 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to ensure that, in the
case of a driver transporting a covered animal within a 300 air-mile
radius from the point at which the on-duty time of the driver begins
with respect to the trip--
(1) the on-duty time of the driver shall exclude all time
spent--
(A) at a plant, terminal, facility, or other
property of a motor carrier or shipper or on any public
property during which the driver is waiting to be
dispatched;
(B) loading or unloading a commercial motor
vehicle;
(C) supervising or assisting in the loading or
unloading of a commercial motor vehicle;
(D) attending to a commercial motor vehicle while
the vehicle is being loaded or unloaded;
(E) remaining in readiness to operate a commercial
motor vehicle; and
(F) giving or receiving receipts for shipments
loaded or unloaded;
(2) except as provided in paragraph (5), the driving time
under section 395.3(a)(3)(i) of that title is modified to a
maximum of not less than 15, and not more than 18, hours within
a 24-hour period;
(3) the driver may take one or more rest periods during the
trip, which shall not be included in the calculation of the
driving time;
(4) after completion of the trip, the driver shall be
required to take a rest break for a period that is 5 hours less
than the maximum driving time under paragraph (2);
(5) if the driver is within 150 air-miles of the point of
delivery, the driver may continue for not more than 2
additional hours, which shall not be included in the
calculation of the driving time; and
(6) the 10-hour rest period under section 395.3(a)(1) of
that title shall not apply.
(b) Covered Animal.--In this Act, the term ``covered animal'' means
a live animal that is one of the following:
(1) Livestock (as defined in section 602 of the
Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1471)).
(2) Honey bees.
(3) Insects.
(4) Fish.
(5) Crawfish.
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