116th Congress Priorities and Farm Bill Passage

116th Congress Takes Shape and Outlines Priorities
With almost two months complete, the 116th Congress has finished committee and subcommittee assignments for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which handle the majority of commercial motor vehicle issues. The committees are beginning to lay out a roadmap for the next two years and outline priorities. CVSA staff is meeting with legislative offices to discuss the needs of enforcement. In discussions, HOS, automated driving systems, ELDs, the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program and commercial driver’s license age requirements are common topics of interest.

Farm Bill Includes Provision on the Interstate Transportation of Hemp
On Dec. 13, 2018, the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, commonly referred to as the Farm Bill, was passed. The bill includes a provision on the interstate transportation of hemp. As outlined in section 10114, the bill allows for legal interstate transportation of hemp that has a delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of .3 percent or less and was produced under an approved federal or state regulatory plan. This topic will be on the agenda for the Driver-Traffic Enforcement Committee at the 2019 CVSA Workshop in St. Louis, Missouri, as jurisdictions discuss how to enforce the new policy.