House Bill Would Boost FMCSA Funding, Pre-empt State Laws on Meal, Rest Breaks
Federal trucking regulators would receive a boost of more than $100 million in their annual budget under a fiscal 2018 funding bill House lawmakers unveiled this week.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would be provided $758 million, which is $113.6 million more than the fiscal 2017 enacted level.
Of that funding allocation, $298.9 million would be dedicated for safety assistance programs, $31.8 million for commercial driver license implementation program, $43.1 million for high priority activities, and $1 million for a commercial motor vehicle operators grant program.
The legislation also would pre-empt states from enacting laws pertaining to truck drivers’ meal and rest break requirements. Specifically, it would call on a “state, political subdivision of a state, or political authority of two or more states” to not enact or enforce a law having to do with such requirements. A similar provision was recently included in a Senate aviation reauthorization bill.
Also, the bill would prohibit FMCSA from proceeding with a safety fitness determination rule until the U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general issues certain certifications required under law.
Overall, the bill would provide $17.8 billion for the DOT’s discretionary budget for the next fiscal year. The Trump administration requested $16.2 billion for the department. The legislation would not provide funding for Obama-era infrastructure grants.
“Now more than ever, it is critical to our economy and to our quality of life to have safe and well-functioning transportation infrastructure. This bill makes investments in essential highway, air, rail and maritime programs that will keep our people and our goods moving efficiently,” Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) said July 10.
The Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee takes up the legislation July 11.
