[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5417 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5417

     To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue or revise 
regulations enhancing flexibility in hours of service requirements for 
 drivers of certain property-carrying vehicles, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2018

  Mr. Babin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue or revise 
regulations enhancing flexibility in hours of service requirements for 
 drivers of certain property-carrying vehicles, 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 ``Responsible and Effective Standards 
for Truckers Act'' or the ``REST Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The livelihood and personal well-being of professional 
        drivers is dependent on the safe operation of a commercial 
        motor vehicle.
            (2) The current hours of service requirements for 
        professional drivers, including the 30-minute break rule, fail 
        to reflect the realities of the trucking industry.
            (3) Professional drivers consistently identify the current 
        hours of service requirements as counterproductive and an 
        impediment to improving highway safety.
            (4) The rigid nature of the current hours of service 
        requirements often compel professional drivers to be on the 
        road when they are tired or fatigued, during rush hour traffic 
        or other periods of highway congestion, during adverse weather 
        conditions, or when they are simply not feeling well.
            (5) The current hours of service requirements have not 
        resulted in statistical improvements to highway safety.
            (6) Rather than decrease, the total number of crashes 
        involving large trucks, as well as fatal crashes involving 
        large trucks, has increased since the introduction of the 
        current hours of service requirements.
            (7) Greater flexibility in hours of service requirements 
        would better allow professional drivers to rest when they feel 
        it appropriate and avoid congestion, adverse weather 
        conditions, or other road conditions that decrease safety.
            (8) The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has 
        noted the majority of sleep studies demonstrate that well-timed 
        sleep has either a positive or no effect on subsequent 
        neurobehavioral performance.
            (9) The current maximum driving time and minimum rest 
        period for professional drivers remain intact.
            (10) The lack of flexibility in the current hours of 
        service requirements, coupled with additional federal 
        regulations, has worsened the truck parking crisis.
            (11) Federal hours of service requirements should improve 
        highway safety for all users.

SEC. 3. FLEXIBILITY IN HOURS OF SERVICE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRIVERS OF 
              CERTAIN PROPERTY-CARRYING VEHICLES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue or revise 
regulations to ensure that--
            (1) a covered driver may suspend an on-duty period of the 
        driver by an amount of time that is equal to a single off-duty 
        rest break carried out by the driver during such on-duty 
        period, provided the suspension--
                    (A) does not exceed 3 hours; and
                    (B) does not extend the total drive time limits 
                contained in section 395.3(a)(3) of title 49, Code of 
                Federal Regulations; and
            (2) no other requirements relating to rest breaks during an 
        on-duty period, including the requirement specified in section 
        395.3(a)(3)(ii) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, apply 
        to a covered driver.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Covered driver.--The term ``covered driver'' means a 
        driver to whom section 395.3 of title 49, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, or any successor regulation, applies.
            (2) On-duty period.--The term ``on-duty period'' means the 
        14-hour period during which a covered driver is permitted to 
        drive after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off 
        duty.
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