[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      REGULATORY RELIEF FOR UTILITY VEHICLE OPERATORS AND DRIVERS

                                 ______


                            HON. RAY LaHOOD

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 1996

  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing legislation today that will 
offer regulatory relief for utility vehicle operators and drivers. This 
bill will help reduce the cost and increase the safety of utilities 
throughout America, and particularly in rural America.
  In the past few years, natural disasters have devastated virtually 
all parts of our country. And, while efforts to rebuild and restore 
basic utility services to the victims have been gallant, these very 
efforts have been severely hampered by ridiculous, costly and 
burdensome regulations that hinder utility service drivers from 
performing emergency repairs and maintenance on utility lines in rural 
areas thereby affecting vital services.
  Last fall, the National Highway System Designation Act included 
relief from Federal motor carrier regulations that were designed mainly 
for long-haul, cross-country drivers. While these laws did provide 
relief for certain agricultural drivers, water well drillers, snowplow 
operators, and medium-sized commercial motor vehicles from burdensome 
hours of service regulations, they, unfortunately, did not provide the 
same kind of relief for drivers of vehicles for utility companies--for 
example, electric, water, telephone, sewer, natural gas, etc.).
  Under current Department of Transportation rules and regulations, 
utility vehicle drivers are limited in the number of hours that they 
can drive and be on duty. The practical effect of these regulations is 
to limit the size of the area that utility drivers can effectively 
service. This limitation not only increases the utility costs that 
consumers must pay; but it also creates health and safety risks for the 
public, because utility service may be interrupted due to the inability 
of utility drivers to reach the problem area and make the appropriate 
repairs within their hours of service.
  The onerous effect of these regulations is particularly acute in 
those parts of rural America in which the service area of utility 
companies generally covers vast distances. Drivers often spend more 
time driving to the problem area then actually making repairs. The 
bureaucrats, however, do not distinguish driving time from repair time, 
choosing, instead, to count both in the overall calculation of 
allowable hours of service.
  This bill will help ensure the public's safe access to utility 
service and save between $300 and $400 million in compliance costs that 
would otherwise be passed on to consumers. I urge passage of this 
important bill.

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