House passes meal and rest break exemptions; Senate yet to act

May 2, 2018
House passes meal and rest break exemptions; Senate yet to act

The US House of Representatives on April 27 passed HR 4, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018.  Primarily designed to fund and direct the Federal Aviation Administration, HR 4 also contains the Denham Amendment—which preempts state meal and rest break laws that would conflict with the hours of service regulations that govern interstate trucking commerce. The Senate has yet to act on FAA Reauthorization.   

NTTC was a leader in the coalition supporting this effort, usually referred to as F4A reform. “We met with countless members of Congress to remind them why state laws should always take a back seat to promoting interstate commerce,” said Boyd Stephenson, NTTC senior vice-president of government affairs. “This is especially true for rest breaks, where FMCSA (the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) has already weighed in on a safety requirement after eight hours of operation. It should be noted, however, that the House legislation will not impact the California’s rules for intrastate transportation.

“NTTC thanks all of our members that contacted their Representatives and encouraged them to vote in favor of the Denham Amendment. Other groups, such as the state trucking associations, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the Chamber of Commerce contributed significant time and resources towards this victory. The American Trucking Associations organized the coalition effort.”