Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Honest Operators Undertake Road Safety Act” or the “HOURS Act”.
Honest Operators Undertake Road Safety Act
A BILL
To amend the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 with respect to exemptions from certain motor carrier regulations, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Transportation of agricultural commodities and farm supplies
Section 229 of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (49 U.S.C. 31136 note) is amended—
in subsection (a)(1), by striking “during planting and harvest periods, as determined by each State,”; and
in subsection (e)(8), by striking “during the planting and harvesting seasons within each State, as determined by the State, and livestock feed at any time of the year” and inserting “and livestock feed”.
Sec. 3 Short-haul operations
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue or revise regulations to ensure that a driver is exempt from the requirements of sections 395.8 and 395.11 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations), if—
the driver operates within a 150 air-mile radius of the normal work reporting location;
the driver (except a driver-salesperson)—
if driving a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle, returns to the work reporting location and is released from work within 14 consecutive hours; and
if driving a passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicle, returns to the work reporting location and is released from work within 12 consecutive hours;
the driver—
if driving a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle, has at least 10 consecutive hours off duty separating each 14 hours on duty; and
if driving a passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicle, has at least 8 consecutive hours off duty separating each 12 hours on duty;
the driver—
if driving a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle, does not exceed the maximum driving time specified in section 395.3(a)(3) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), following 10 consecutive hours off duty; and
if driving a passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicle, does not exceed 10 hours maximum driving time following 8 consecutive hours off duty; and
the motor carrier that employs the driver maintains and retains for a period of 6 months accurate and true time records showing the—
time the driver reports for duty each day;
total number of hours the driver is on duty each day;
time the driver is released from duty each day; and
total time for the preceding 7 days in accordance with section 395.8(j)(2) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), for drivers used for the first time or intermittently.
Sec. 4 Supporting documents
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue or revise regulations to ensure that a driver or motor carrier subject to the use of an electronic logging device pursuant to section 31137 of title 49, United States Code, shall only be required, for purposes of Federal hours of service requirements, to obtain and retain supporting documentation regarding the start and end times of each applicable daily on-duty period.
Sec. 5 Sleeper berths
Before the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the requirements under section 31136(g)(1) of title 49, United States Code, shall not apply to a rulemaking regarding hours of service requirements as they relate to sleeper berths for property-carrying commercial motor vehicle drivers.