Hours of Service Fixes for Livestock Haulers Proposed Again in House

A bill that was proposed in the last session of Congress has been reintroduced in an effort to make Electronic Logging Device (ELD) and hours of service regulations work for livestock transporters.

On Jan. 10, Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) reintroduced the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely (TLAAS) Act H.R.487.

“The safe transportation of livestock is an essential part of feeding America. Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are rigid and costly for haulers. They also place the wellbeing and welfare of cattle, hogs, fish, and other livestock at risk. Extended stops for a hauler, which would be necessitated by these HOS regulations, are especially dangerous for livestock during summer or winter months,” Yoho says.

Yoho, who is a veterinarian in Florida, proposed the same TLAAS bill in June of last yearwith the support of 64 cosponsors, but was never taken out of committee. The Senate also had a version of the bill during the last session of Congress.

“TLAAS will make the right modifications to current regulations, so we protect the safety of both haulers and livestock in route to their destination,” Yoho says.

The latest version of the bill currently has 27 cosponsors, with the lone Democratic member signing off being Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN). Peterson is the newly elected Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and was one of the first Democrats to support TLAAS last year.

Several livestock groups supported TLAAS in the Senate last year and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released a statement voicing support for Yoho’s latest House version of the bill.

“On behalf of America’s cattle producers, I want to thank Congressman Yoho for once again taking a leadership role in working towards delivering certainty and common sense for our nation’s livestock haulers. The current Hours of Service rules for livestock haulers remain very problematic for our industry and can often jeopardize the health and well-being of our animals. The Transporting Livestock Across America Safely (TLAAS) Act would finally address this situation, and we hope that Congress passes this legislation as soon as possible,” says NCBA President Kevin Kester.

The bill has been cosponsored by the following 27 Representatives and Yoho:

Rep. Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN-7]*
Rep. LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1]*
Rep. Weber, Randy K., Sr. [R-TX-14]*
Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-4]*
Rep. Walker, Mark [R-NC-6]*
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]*
Rep. Fortenberry, Jeff [R-NE-1]*
Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4]*
Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8]*
Rep. Gibbs, Bob [R-OH-7]*
Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2]*
Rep. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK-2]*
Rep. Thornberry, Mac [R-TX-13]*
Rep. Dunn, Neal P. [R-FL-2]*
Rep. Meadows, Mark [R-NC-11]*
Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3]*
Rep. Palazzo, Steven M. [R-MS-4]*
Rep. Comer, James [R-KY-1]*
Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3]*
Rep. Gianforte, Greg [R-MT-At Large]*
Rep. Walorski, Jackie [R-IN-2]*
Rep. Buck, Ken [R-CO-4]*
Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11]*
Rep. Davidson, Warren [R-OH-8]*
Rep. Hartzler, Vicky [R-MO-4]*
Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3]*
Rep. Rouzer, David [R-NC-7]*