[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23150-23151]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 THE REAL INTERSTATE DRIVER EQUITY ACT

  Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. President, the coming days will be historic for a 
large number of small businesses that make up the luxury ground 
transportation industry. After much hard work from several members of 
the New Jersey Delegation and hundreds of constituents in New Jersey 
and around the country, the President will sign H.R. 2546, The Real 
Interstate Driver Equity Act. This Act will bring tremendous relief to 
those operators of the luxury ground transportation industry conducting 
interstate business.
  Four years ago, two of my constituents Don Kensey of Au Premiere 
Limousine of Bellmawr, and James Moseley of James Limousine of Cherry 
Hill, approached my good friend Congressman Rob Andrews concerning the 
problem limousine operators in New Jersey were having with local 
jurisdictions in other States seizing and fining properly authorized 
vehicles upon picking up their clients to return them to New Jersey. 
Joining with many other limousine businesses in New Jersey and the 
National Limousine Association, our constituents organized a national 
grassroots campaign in the 106th Congress to educate the House and 
Senate. Today, the Congress is aware of the hardships faced by these 
small business owners across the country.
  Because such a substantial portion of their service does not occur in 
a single State, limousine and other prearranged ground transportation 
service providers are frequently assessed registration and licensing 
fees by these other States. Enforcement of these requirements, which 
includes vehicle impoundment and heavy fines, has caused tremendous 
hardship to drivers and owners of these businesses, over 80% of which 
are one-to-three car operators grossing less than $500,000 a year. I 
would note that these problems are especially hard on small businesses 
in New Jersey, which borders on two States with large cities and 
airports.
  Indeed, I was shocked to hear that in one particularly egregious 
instance, the CEO of McGraw Hill Publishing was forced out of his 
limousine, which was seized in another State and told to find another 
way home. That was when Senator Corzine and myself, along with 
Congressman Andrews decided to take action.
  The Real Interstate Driver Equity Act simply prohibits States other 
than a home licensing State from enacting or enforcing a law requiring 
a fee or some other payment requirement on vehicles that provide 
prearranged transportation service. States and localities can no longer 
restrict limousine or sedan services if the service is registered with 
the Department of Transportation as an interstate carrier; the company 
meets all of the requirements of the State in which it is domiciled or 
do business; and the limousine or sedan service is engaged in providing 
pre-arranged transportation from one state to another, including round 
trips.
  This Congress, through the hard work of our constituents, has finally 
remedied this inequity in our interstate commerce law.

[[Page 23151]]

  There were several other members who were instrumental in passing 
this legislation. I would like to thank Congressmen Roy Blunt and Rob 
Andrews, who took the lead on H.R. 2546 in the House of Representatives 
and helped ensure its passage last year. In April of this year, with 
the assistance of my colleagues Senator Hollings and Senator McCain, 
the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee passed H.R. 2546 
unanimously. I am also most grateful to Senator Reid, Senator Bond, and 
Senator Corzine for their able assistance in passing this important 
small business legislation.

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