The House of Representatives passed its version of a bill Oct. 14 to create the National Motor Carrier Administration and beef up truck and bus safety on other fronts, in what some observers are calling the most significant change in federal trucking oversight since the industry was deregulated nearly 20 years ago.
The 415-5 floor vote came the same day Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater wrote the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.), to say that he now supports the establishment of a separate modal administration, after arguing consistently in favor of keeping the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety where it is — in the Federal Highway Administration.
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’s desk before the end of the legislative session.
The president of American Trucking Associations, which for more than a decade has pushed for a separate motor carrier safety agency within the Department of Transportation, called the House decision “a major victory for highway safety.”
For the full story, see the Oct. 18 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
Spending Bill Cuts Off Money For Motor Carrier Safety Office (Oct. 13)
