U.S. Representative Richard Hanna (R-NY) has announced that 51 Members of Congress sent a letter on September 3 to Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx reiterating their concerns about the Hours of Service (HOS) final rule which came into effect on July 1, 2013. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) directed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to conduct a statistically-valid field study by March 31, 2013. Although FMCSA missed this deadline, it finalized and enacted a new HOS rule for commercial truckers on July 1.

"The government has an obligation to properly study the economic and safety impact of regulations it enacts on industries such as commercial trucking, asphalt, concrete and other construction businesses. These rules have real-world implications for small businesses, workers, and consumers," Rep. Hanna said. "FMCSA enacted these new HOS rules without even completing a valid field study. The Department should commit to a timeline for completing the study and submitting its report to Congress so that lawmakers can properly consider the costs and benefits of the rule and whether or not it makes sense moving forward."