[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2546 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 2546


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 14, 2001

    Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
    To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit States from 
requiring a license or fee on account of the fact that a motor vehicle 
is providing interstate pre-arranged ground transportation service, and 
                          for other purposes.

    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 ``Real Interstate Driver Equity Act of 
2001''.

SEC. 2. REGULATION OF INTERSTATE PRE-ARRANGED GROUND TRANSPORTATION 
              SERVICE.

    Section 14501 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(d) Pre-Arranged Ground Transportation.--
            ``(1) In general.--No State or political subdivision 
        thereof and no interstate agency or other political agency of 2 
        or more States shall enact or enforce any law, rule, 
        regulation, standard or other provision having the force and 
        effect of law requiring a license or fee on account of the fact 
        that a motor vehicle is providing pre-arranged ground 
        transportation service if the motor carrier providing such 
        service--
                    ``(A) meets all applicable registration 
                requirements under chapter 139 for the interstate 
                transportation of passengers;
                    ``(B) meets all applicable vehicle and intrastate 
                passenger licensing requirements of the State or States 
                in which the motor carrier is domiciled or registered 
                to do business; and
                    ``(C) is providing such service pursuant to a 
                contract for--
                            ``(i) travel from one State, including 
                        intermediate stops, to a destination in another 
                        State; or
                            ``(ii) travel from one State, including one 
                        or more intermediate stops in another State, to 
                        a destination in the original State.
            ``(2) Matters not covered.--Nothing in this subsection 
        shall be construed--
                    ``(A) as subjecting taxicab service to regulation 
                under chapter 135 or section 31138;
                    ``(B) as prohibiting or restricting an airport, 
                train, or bus terminal operator from contracting to 
                provide preferential access or facilities to one or 
                more providers of pre-arranged ground transportation 
                service; and
                    ``(C) as restricting the right of any State or 
                political subdivision of a State to require that any 
                individual operating a vehicle providing prearranged 
                ground transportation service originating in the State 
                or political subdivision have submitted to a criminal 
                background investigation of the records of the State in 
                which the operator is domiciled, by the motor carrier 
                providing such service or by the State or political 
                subdivision by which the operator is licensed to 
                provide such service, as a condition of providing such 
                service.''.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) In General.--Section 13102 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (17), (18), (19), (20), 
        (21), and (22) as paragraphs (18), (19), (21), (22), (23), and 
        (24), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (16) the following:
            ``(17) Pre-arranged ground transportation service.--The 
        term `pre-arranged ground transportation service' means 
        transportation for a passenger (or a group of passengers) that 
        is arranged in advance (or is operated on a regular route or 
        between specified points) and is provided in a motor vehicle 
        with a seating capacity not exceeding 15 passengers (including 
        the driver).''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (19) (as so redesignated) 
        the following:
            ``(20) Taxicab service.--The term `taxicab service' means 
        passenger transportation in a motor vehicle having a capacity 
        of not more than 8 passengers (including the driver), not 
        operated on a regular route or between specified places, and 
        that--
                    ``(A) is licensed as a taxicab by a State or a 
                local jurisdiction; or
                    ``(B) is offered by a person that--
                            ``(i) provides local transportation for a 
                        fare determined (except with respect to 
                        transportation to or from airports) primarily 
                        on the basis of the distance traveled; and
                            ``(ii) does not primarily provide 
                        transportation to or from airports.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Motor carrier transportation.--Section 13506(a)(2) of 
        title 49, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
            ``(2) a motor vehicle providing taxicab service;''.
            (2) Minimum financial responsibility.--Section 31138(e)(2) 
        of such title is amended to read as follows:
            ``(2) providing taxicab service (as defined in section 
        13102);''.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 13, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.