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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.5147 Type of Legislation:Concurrent Resolution CR Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:20000530 Primary Sponsor:Townsend All Sponsors:Townsend Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\ggs\22685cm00.doc Date Bill Passed both Bodies:20000601 Subject:Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requests to revise proposed rules about trucking industry; Motor Vehicles History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 20000601 Received from Senate Senate 20000601 Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence House 20000601 Adopted, sent to Senate ------ 20000601 Scrivener's error corrected House 20000531 Committee report: Favorable 24 HIMR House 20000530 Introduced, referred to Committee 24 HIMR Versions of This Bill Revised on May 31, 2000 - Word format Revised on June 1, 2000 - Word format
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COMMITTEE REPORT
May 31, 2000
H. 5147
S. Printed 5/31/00--H. [SEC 6/1/00 4:44 PM]
Read the first time May 30, 2000.
To whom was referred a Concurrent Resolution (H. 5147), memorializing the Honorable Rodney E. Slater, Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:
DWIGHT A. LOFTIS, for Committee.
MEMORIALIZING THE HONORABLE RODNEY E. SLATER, SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (FMCSA), AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO OPPOSE THE ADOPTION OF THE REVISIONS TO THE FEDERAL HOURS-OF-SERVICE RULES FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVERS CONTAINED IN THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S RECENTLY ISSUED NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING, AND TO URGE THE FMCSA TO ISSUE A NEW PROPOSAL BASED ON SOUND SCIENCE, ENHANCED PUBLIC SAFETY, AND STRENGTHENED ABILITY OF THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY.
Whereas, the trucking industry employs more than nine million people, delivers eighty-one percent of the nation's freight measured by value, and is the exclusive provider of freight services to seventy-five percent of communities in the United States; and
Whereas, the trucking industry is a critical component of the United States economy; and
Whereas, truck safety is an important public policy concern; and
Whereas, the current federal regulations that are meant to reduce truck driver fatigue are outdated, counterproductive, and in need of revision; and
Whereas, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on revisions to the Federal Hours-of-Service rules for commercial drivers; and
Whereas, the FMCSA's proposal would decrease the overall number of hours a truck driver could work, and require the addition of more trucks and drivers to deliver the nation's freight; and
Whereas, this impact would likely compromise highway safety by generating more exposure to crashes, putting less experienced drivers on the road, exacerbating the shortage of rest area parking spaces and creating long periods of idle time for truck drivers; and
Whereas, the increased costs generated by the need for additional trucks and drivers, as well as operational changes, under the proposal would inflate delivery expenses and raise business and consumer costs; and
Whereas, the proposal requires some trucks to carry on-board recorders for enforcing the hours of service regulations; and
Whereas, this requirement is unlikely to positively impact safety while it raises serious and legitimate concerns regarding the privacy and the potential for abuse of the information gathered by the on-board recorders, and would place additional financial burdens on the trucking industry, with small businesses being the most severely and disproportionately affected; and
Whereas the proposal rescinds current provisions that give states the flexibility to address certain unique requirements that cannot be met under the limitations of a general hours-of-service regulation, such as the ability to effectively respond to emergencies and to meet seasonal agricultural needs; and
Whereas, the law enforcement community has raised concerns about the ability of commercial vehicle safety inspectors to effectively enforce the proposed regulations; and
Whereas, the FMCSA's cost-benefit analysis of the proposal is incomplete, fails to completely account for all trucking-industry and economy-wide costs, and inflates the safety benefits of the proposal. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina oppose the proposed hours-of-service rule contained in the FMCSA's recently issued Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on revisions to the Federal Hours-of-Service rules for commercial drivers and urges the FMCSA to issue a new proposal that is based on sound science, enhanced public safety, and strengthened ability of the trucking industry to meet the needs of the American economy.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Honorable Rodney E. Slater, United States Secretary of Transportation, the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the chairmen and ranking members of the relevant committees of the United States Senate and House of Representatives and the United States Senators and Representatives representing the State of South Carolina.
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