[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3153 Reported in House (RH)]





                                                 Union Calendar No. 429

104th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 3153

                          [Report No. 104-791]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to exempt from regulation the 
transportation of certain hazardous materials by vehicles with a gross 
            vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 17, 1996

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed





                                                 Union Calendar No. 429
104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3153

                          [Report No. 104-791]

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to exempt from regulation the 
transportation of certain hazardous materials by vehicles with a gross 
            vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 22, 1996

Mr. DeLay (for himself, Mr. Condit, Mr. Dooley of California, Mr. Barr 
 of Georgia, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Bryant of Tennessee, Mr. Christensen, Mr. 
   Clement, Mr. Coble, Mr. Combest, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. 
Dornan, Mr. Emerson, Mr. English of Pennsylvania, Mr. Ewing, Mr. Foley, 
   Mr. Hastings of Washington, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Kim, Mr. Largent, Mr. 
  LaTourette, Mr. Lewis of Kentucky, Mr. Linder, Mr. Livingston, Mr. 
    McIntosh, Mr. Ney, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Scarborough, Mr. Towns, Mr. 
   Traficant, and Mr. Wamp) introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

                           September 17, 1996

 Additional sponsors: Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Mica, Mr. Bunning of Kentucky, 
    Mr. Baker of Louisiana, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Holden, Mr. Tanner, Mr. 
Bereuter, Mr. Burr, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Hoke, Mr. Chapman, Mrs. Chenoweth, 
 Mr. Camp, Mr. Cooley of Oregon, Mr. Watts of Oklahoma, Mr. Weldon of 
  Florida, Mrs. Thurman, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Parker, Mr. Latham, Mr. 
Upton, Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, Mr. Ortiz, Mr. Goodlatte, Mr. Canady 
        of Florida, Mr. Knollenberg, and Mr. Peterson of Florida

                           September 17, 1996

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to exempt from regulation the 
transportation of certain hazardous materials by vehicles with a gross 
            vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN HAZARDOUS MATERIAL 
              TRANSPORTATION FROM REGULATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 5117 of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), 
respectively, and by inserting after subsection (b) the 
following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(c) Statutory Exemption.--This chapter and regulations 
prescribed under this chapter shall not apply to--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight 
        rating of 10,000 pounds or less transporting a substance or 
        material--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) designated as a hazardous material 
                under this chapter (or the Hazardous Materials 
                Transportation Act) on or before January 1, 1996; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) for which placarding of a motor 
                vehicle was not required as of January 1, 1996, under 
                regulations prescribed under this chapter (or the 
                Hazardous Materials Transportation Act); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight 
        rating of 10,000 pounds or less transporting a substance or 
        material designated as a hazardous material under this chapter 
        after January 1, 1996, unless the Secretary determines that the 
        hazardous material poses a significant risk to health and 
        safety or property.''.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Regulatory Relief 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.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to direct the 
        Secretary of Transportation to issue a final rule relating to 
        materials of trade exceptions from hazardous materials 
        transportation requirements.''.