Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration February 21, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On September 21, 2018, in response to a petition from the National Tank Truck Carriers, Inc. (NTTC), PHMSA published a determination that California's meal and rest break rules (MRB Rules) are preempted, under 49 U.S.C. 5125, as applied to drivers of motor vehicles transporting hazardous materials. The California Labor Commissioner's petition for reconsideration of that decision is denied on the grounds of mootness. After PHMSA issued its preemption determination, and after the request for reconsideration was filed, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) determined that the MRB Rules are preempted, under 49 U.S.C. 31141, as applied to property- carrying commercial motor vehicles drivers covered by FMCSA's hours of service regulations. FMCSA's decision covers a broader group of drivers than PHMSA's decision, including NTTC's members. Accordingly, granting the California Labor Commissioner's petition for reconsideration will not change the fact that the MRB Rules cannot be enforced against NTTC's members.