[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3153 Received in Senate (RDS)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3153


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 24 (legislative day, September 20), 1996

                                Received

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
    To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue a final rule 
  relating to materials of trade exceptions from hazardous materials 
                      transportation requirements.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Transport Correction 
Advancement Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Secretary of Transportation is considering, as part 
        of a proposed rulemaking, expanding the exceptions provided for 
        transportation of small quantities of hazardous materials from 
        unnecessary and burdensome regulations;
            (2) the Secretary has found that certain businesses, and 
        especially small businesses, carry small quantities of 
        hazardous materials;
            (3) small businesses are critical in creating jobs in the 
        United States economy and can be significantly affected by 
        Federal regulations; and
            (4) regulatory relief for small businesses transporting 
        relatively small quantities of hazardous materials should be 
        promptly acted on and the Secretary has stated an intention to 
        issue a final rule to provide this regulatory relief by 
        December 31, 1996.

SEC. 3. MATERIALS OF TRADE EXCEPTIONS FROM HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 
              TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Deadline for Issuance of Final Rule.--Not later than December 
31, 1996, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue, under the 
rulemaking proceeding under docket number HM-200, entitled ``Hazardous 
Materials in Intrastate Transportation'', a final rule relating to 
materials of trade exceptions from chapter 51 of title 49, United 
States Code, and regulations issued pursuant thereto. The final rule 
shall substantially address the materials of trade exceptions contained 
in the proposed rule relating to hazardous materials in intrastate 
transportation published in the Federal Register on March 20, 1996 (61 
Fed. Reg. 11489-11490).
    (b) Effective Date.--The final rule issued under subsection (a) 
shall become effective not later than 90 days after date of publication 
of the final rule.
    (c) Training of Inspectors.--Before the effective date of the final 
rule issued under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide 
sufficient training of inspectors to provide for implementation of the 
final rule.

SEC. 4. FARM-RELATED EXCEPTIONS FROM HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION 
              REQUIREMENTS.

    Any provision of a final rule relating to intrastate transportation 
of hazardous materials issued under the rulemaking proceeding under 
docket number HM-200 that prohibits States from granting exceptions for 
not-for-hire intrastate transportation by farmers and farm-related 
service industries shall not take effect with respect to not-for-hire 
intrastate transportation by farmers and farm-related service 
industries before the earlier of--
            (1) the date of the enactment of a law which authorizes 
        appropriations to carry out chapter 51 of title 49, United 
        States Code, for fiscal year 1998; or
            (2) the 180th day following the effective date of the final 
        rule.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 24, 1996.

            Attest:

                                                ROBIN H. CARLE,

                                                                 Clerk.