Legislative Activity

Continuing Resolution Likely, with Potential Trucking Rider

The current fiscal year ends on September 30, and Congress will need to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to continue funding the federal government. The Senate is expected to pass a CR this week that would fund the federal government through December 9. That approach would require Congress to pass an Omnibus Appropriations bill, or several “mini-buses,” to fund the government through FY 2017.

The CR could provide an opportunity for Congress to include a transportation policy rider impacting the 34-hour restart rule in hours of service regulations proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The Chairman of the transportation subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), seems open to considering a change to the rule in the CR. The Senate Appropriations subcommittee Chairwoman, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), has suggested that a compromise provision may be necessary to get the approval of Senate Democrats. However, any hours of service rule modifications may have to wait for the “lame-duck” session, depending on the number of policy changes included in the short-term CR.

This Week’s Hearings:

• On Thursday, September 22, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will hold a hearing titled “Midterm Review and Update on the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Program and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Motor Vehicles.”
• On Thursday, September 22, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will hold a hearing titled “The Impact of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act’s Freight Provisions.”