House Approves Trucking Agency
In what some observers are calling the most significant change in federal trucking oversight since the industry was deregulated nearly 20 years ago, Congress took a big step Thursday toward the establishment of a separate motor carrier safety agency within the Department of Transportation.
Meanwhile, the Senate version, introduced Aug. 5 as the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), is still awaiting markup by the Commerce Committee and is expected to be sent to the floor later this month. Supporters are hoping a conference bill can be sent to the President Clinton’s desk before the end of the legislative session.
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The House of Representatives passed its version of a bill to create the National Motor Carrier Administration and beef up truck and bus safety on other fronts. The 415-5 vote came the same day Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater wrote to the bill’s sponsor to say that he now supports the establishment of a separate modal administration. For months, Slater had advocated leaving the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety where it is – in the Federal Highway Administration.
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The House bill also carried language repealed the Single State Registration System in favor of a uniform system, operated by a central clearinghouse, to handle all interstate carrier registrations.
