The House is scheduled to vote Sept. 26 on a bill that would require any federal regulatory action on sleep apnea testing and treatment to go through the formal rulemaking process.
The bill was originally scheduled for a vote Sept. 25, but it was postponed to the next day, according to House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.).
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the bill unanimously Sept. 19, sending it to the full House for consideration. The legislation aims to stop the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from issuing regulatory guidance that would recommend that medical examiners require certain obese truck drivers to undergo sleep apnea testing and treatment.
Shortly before the committee’s vote, FMCSA said it would no longer pursue guidance and instead use only the rulemaking process, but lawmakers went ahead with the legislation.
Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced a similar measure in the Senate on Sept. 23. It was referred to the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
Both bills seek to subject requirements about sleep apnea to the rulemaking process, which includes study, cost-benefit analysis and public input.
