HAULS Act of 2021
Bill: S.792 | Sponsor: Sen. Fischer, Deb (R-NE)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Haulers of Agriculture and Livestock Safety Act of 2021 or the HAULS Act of 2021
This bill modifies exemptions with respect to commercial motor vehicle safety regulations involving the transportation of agricultural commodities and farm supplies.
The bill allows the federal hours-of-service rules exemption regarding maximum driving and on-duty time for drivers transporting agricultural commodities and farm supplies to apply year-round. Current law provides an exception from the federal hours-of-service rules for the transportation of agricultural commodities within a 150 air-mile radius of the normal work reporting location only during planting and harvest periods which are determined by each state.
Additionally, the Department of Transportation must revise the definition of agricultural commodity to include specific commodities that are covered by the federal hours-of-service rules exception.

To amend the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 to modify 
certain agricultural exemptions for hours of service requirements, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Haulers of Agriculture and Livestock 
Safety Act of 2021'' or the ``HAULS Act of 2021''.

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; Public Law 106-159) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
                striking ``during planting and harvest periods, as 
                determined by each State,''; and
                    (B) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(A) drivers transporting agricultural commodities 
                within a 150 air-mile radius from--
                            ``(i) the source of the agricultural 
                        commodities; or
                            ``(ii) the destination of the agricultural 
                        commodities;''; and
            (2) 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. DEFINITION OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY.

    (a) In General.--Section 229(e) of the Motor Carrier Safety 
Improvement Act of 1999 (49 U.S.C. 31136 note; Public Law 106-159) is 
amended by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
            ``(7) Agricultural commodity.--The term `agricultural 
        commodity' has the meaning given the term in section 395.2 of 
        title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor 
        regulation).''.
    (b) Rulemaking.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall revise the 
definition of the term ``agricultural commodity'' in section 395.2 of 
title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to include--
            (1) any nonprocessed product planted or harvested for food, 
        feed, fuel, or fiber;
            (2)(A) any nonhuman living animal, including--
                    (i) fish;
                    (ii) insects; and
                    (iii) livestock (as defined in section 602 of the 
                Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 (7 
                U.S.C. 1471)); and
            (B) the nonprocessed products of any nonhuman living 
        animal, including--
                    (i) milk;
                    (ii) eggs; and
                    (iii) honey;
            (3) nonprocessed forestry, aquacultural, horticultural, and 
        floricultural commodities;
            (4) fresh or minimally processed fruits and vegetables, 
        including fruits and vegetables that are rinsed, cooled, cut, 
        ripened, or otherwise minimally processed, as determined by the 
        Secretary; and
            (5) animal feed, including the ingredients of animal feed.
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