Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) has introduced a bill that would suspend the latest changes to the 34-hour restart provision of the hours-of-service rule for truck drivers.
The legislation introduced Dec. 20 would require that the Government Accountability Office independently study the methodology the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration used in writing the new rule, which took effect July 1. Six months after the study is complete, FMCSA could reinstate the rule.
Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) introduced a similar bill in the House in October, along with Reps. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) and Mike Michaud (D-Maine).
The restart provision allows drivers to reset their weekly work cycles by resting for 34 hours. But the rule requires that the time block include two periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. in an effort to get drivers to sleep two nights.
Ayotte’s bill would return the rule to its status before July 1, without the new restrictions.
Ayotte’s office did not return requests for comment. The bill was immediately referred to the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and it has one cosponsor: Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.).
Hanna’s legislation has 34 cosponsors. Since he introduced the bill, he has promoted it at news conferences in his district.
