Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration March 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces its decision to deny the applications from five individuals treated with an ICD who requested an exemption from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) prohibiting operation of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce by persons with a current clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, coronary insufficiency, thrombosis, or any other cardiovascular disease of a variety known to be accompanied by syncope (transient loss of consciousness), dyspnea (shortness of breath), collapse, or congestive heart failure.

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt 32 individuals from the requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers have ``no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a CMV.'' The exemptions enable these individuals who have had one or more seizures and are taking anti- seizure medication to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

FMCSA removes obsolete regulatory text from its June 30, 2021, entry-level driver training (ELDT) final rule. The section-by-section analysis in the March 7, 2016 notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) concerning the ELDT requirements proposed that, upon the effective date of the final rule, the subpart setting out the old driver training standards would be removed from the regulations and the subpart reserved for future use. However, the Agency omitted the amendatory instruction needed to remove and reserve the subpart from the December 8, 2016 final rule. FMCSA corrects the omission, which was repeated in subsequent ELDT rulemaking notices, the most recent being the June 2021 final rule.

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt 23 individuals from the hearing requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce. The exemptions enable these hard of hearing and deaf individuals to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

FMCSA is withdrawing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to allow States to permit a third party skills test examiner to administer the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) skills test to applicants to whom the examiner has also provided skills training, a practice now prohibited under FMCSA regulations. FMCSA takes this action after considering the comments received following publication of the NPRM, as explained further below.

FMCSA amends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to increase the area on the interior of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) windshields where certain vehicle safety technology devices may be mounted. In addition, FMCSA adds items to the definition of vehicle safety technology. This final rule responds to a rulemaking petition from Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA).

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 224 individuals from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The exemptions enable these individuals to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce without meeting the vision requirements in one eye.

FMCSA announces its decision to grant the exemption request of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). AAMVA requested a multi-year exemption on behalf of the State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) in Maryland, New Hampshire, and Virginia to allow the three States to continue using revised Commercial Driver's License (CDL) pre-trip vehicle inspection and revised control skills test procedures following the completion of field tests conducted under a waiver granted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). AAMVA believes that the requested exemption would enable these States to continue operating under the pilot model without the burden of reverting to the current CDL test model generating costs and delays associated with the re-configuration of testing locations and retraining of CDL test examiners. FMCSA has analyzed the exemption application and the public comments and has determined that the exemption, subject to the terms and conditions imposed, will achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved absent such exemption.