Reliable Home Heating Act

To address current emergency shortages of propane and other home heating fuels and to provide greater flexibility and information for Governors to address such emergencies in the future. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Reliable Home Heating Act 2. Authority to extend emergency declarations for purposes of temporarily exempting motor carriers providing emergency relief from certain safety regulations (a) Defined term In this Act, the term residential heating fuel (1) heating oil; (2) natural gas; and (3) propane. (b) Authorization If the Governor of a State declares a state of emergency caused by a shortage of residential heating fuel and, at the conclusion of the initial 30-day emergency period (or a second 30-day emergency period authorized under this subsection), the Governor determines that the emergency shortage has not ended, any extension of such state of emergency by the Governor, up to 2 additional 30-day periods, shall be recognized by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as a period during which parts 390 through 399 of chapter III of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, shall not apply to any motor carrier or driver operating a commercial motor vehicle to provide residential heating fuel in the geographic area so designated as under a state of emergency. (c) Rulemaking The Secretary of Transportation shall amend section 390.23(a)(1)(ii) (d) Savings provision Nothing in this section may be construed to modify the authority granted to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Field Administrator under section 390.23(a) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to offer temporary exemptions from parts 390 through 399 of such title. 3. Energy Information Administration notification requirement The Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, using data compiled from the Administration’s Weekly Petroleum Status Reports, shall notify the Governor of each State in a Petroleum Administration for Defense District if the inventory of residential heating fuel within such district has been below the most recent 5-year average for more than 3 consecutive weeks. 4. Propane and home heating fuel emergency transportation (a) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a covered emergency exemption issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shall remain in effect until May 31, 2014, unless the Secretary of Transportation, after consultation with the Governors of affected States, determines that the emergency for which the exemption was provided ends before that date. (b) Covered emergency exemption defined In this section, the term covered emergency exemption section 390.23 (1) was issued or extended during the period beginning on February 5, 2014, and ending on the date of enactment of this Act; and (2) provided regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations providing direct assistance supporting the delivery of propane and home heating fuels. (c) Rule of construction Nothing in subsection (a) may be construed to prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from issuing or extending a covered emergency exemption beyond May 31, 2014, under other Federal law. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Reliable Home Heating Act 2. Authority to extend emergency declarations for purposes of temporarily exempting motor carriers providing emergency relief from certain safety regulations (a) Defined term In this Act, the term residential heating fuel (1) heating oil; (2) natural gas; and (3) propane. (b) Authorization If the Governor of a State declares a state of emergency caused by a shortage of residential heating fuel and, at the conclusion of the initial 30-day emergency period (or a second 30-day emergency period authorized under this subsection), the Governor determines that the emergency shortage has not ended, any extension of such state of emergency by the Governor, up to 2 additional 30-day periods, shall be recognized by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as a period during which parts 390 through 399 of chapter III of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, shall not apply to any motor carrier or driver operating a commercial motor vehicle to provide residential heating fuel in the geographic area so designated as under a state of emergency. (c) Rulemaking The Secretary of Transportation shall amend section 390.23(a)(1)(ii) (d) Savings provision Nothing in this section may be construed to modify the authority granted to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Field Administrator under section 390.23(a) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to offer temporary exemptions from parts 390 through 399 of such title. 3. Energy Information Administration notification requirement The Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, using data compiled from the Administration’s Weekly Petroleum Status Reports, shall notify the Governor of each State in a Petroleum Administration for Defense District if the inventory of residential heating fuel within such district has been below the most recent 5-year average for more than 3 consecutive weeks. 4. Review Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a study of, and transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, a report on the impacts of safety from the extensions issued by Governors according to this Act. In conducting the study, the Secretary shall review, at a minimum— (1) the safety implications of extending exemptions; and (2) a review of the exemption process to ensure clarity and efficiency during emergencies. May 20, 2014 Reported with an amendment

Summary: Reliable Home Heating Act - Directs the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to recognize any 30-day emergency period declared by a state governor due to a shortage of residential heating fuel (and up to two additional 30-day periods) as one during which FMCSA federal motor carrier safety regulations shall not apply to any motor carrier or driver operating a commercial motor vehicle providing residential heating fuel in a geographic area designated as under a state of emergency. Defines the term "residential heating fuel" to include heating oil, natural gas, and propane. Directs the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, using data compiled from the Administration's Weekly Petroleum Status Reports, to notify the governor of each state in a Petroleum Administration for Defense District if that district's inventory of residential heating fuel has been below the most recent five-year average for more than three consecutive weeks. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to study the impacts on safety from the extension of exemptions issued by the state governors.