The House Appropriations Committee has given its approval to a proposed law that would prevent the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from receiving funds to implement a plan that requires installing speed-limiting devices on heavy trucks. This decision was made during a committee meeting on July 18. The proposed budget for FMCSA in fiscal year 2024 is set at $891.3 million, starting from October 1. However, the approved legislation includes a specific provision that prohibits any funding to be used for enforcing a rule or regulation mandating the installation of speed limiters on trucks, buses, and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing over 26,000 pounds.
The next step is for the full House to consider and potentially approve this appropriations bill.
This isn’t the first time Congress has attempted to block a speed limiter mandate. In May, Representative Josh Brecheen from Oklahoma introduced the DRIVE Act, which also aimed to prevent FMCSA from enforcing speed limiter rules or regulations on trucks. The DRIVE Act has garnered support from 21 co-sponsors, all of whom are Republicans.
