House Approves Bill Requiring FMCSA To Conduct Rulemaking on Apnea

The U.S. House passed a bill Sept. 26 to require the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to conduct a full rulemaking process if it wants to require sleep apnea testing and treatment for truck drivers.

FMCSA agreed in advance of the unanimous vote to go through the rulemaking after saying earlier that it would only issue guidance issue.

“We’re thrilled the House unanimously passed this important piece of legislation and we hope the Senate will soon follow suit so we can ensure the issue of sleep apnea testing and treatment is resolved through the regular rulemaking rather than hastily issued guidance,” American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves said in a statement.

Rulemaking would allow the trucking industry to present input on sleep apnea testing and treatment, which could cost it $1 billion annually, according to ATA.

The House bill was introduced Sept. 12 by Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) and Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.).

A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) but no vote on the bill has been scheduled.