The House of Representatives has passed an amendment by Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) that makes the agricultural exemption to the federal hours of service regulations permanent
in federal law and provides definitions of agricultural commodities.
Moran offered an amendment to H.R. 3, the highway reauthorization bill on the floor of the House of Representatives, which passed by a 257-167 vote.
The Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference of the American Trucking Associations has supported the legislation for the past three years. The highway bill was approved in the House last week and will have to be reconciled to any highway bill passed by the Senate.
The Moran amendment makes two important distinctions oin the agricultural exemption found in the Highway System Designation Act of 1995. They are:
1. Adds a technical amendment to the definition of agricultural commodities to ensure that livestock, milk, poultry and poultry feed, and other farm commodities, are included in the definition, and;
2. Ensures permanent protection to the hours of service exemption for agricultural transporters and prevents the Secretary of Transportation from modifying or revoking the agricultural exemption without amending federal law.