Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration January 21, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FMCSA grants the petition submitted by the American Bus Association (ABA) requesting a determination that the State of California's Meal and Rest Break rules (MRB rules) are preempted under 49 U.S.C. 31141 as applied to passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicle drivers subject to FMCSA's hours of service regulations. Federal law provides for preemption of State laws on commercial motor vehicle safety that are additional to or more stringent than Federal regulations if they (1) have no safety benefit; (2) are incompatible with Federal regulations; or (3) would cause an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce. The FMCSA has determined that California's MRB rules are laws on commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety, that they are more stringent than the Agency's hours of service regulations, that they have no safety benefits that extend beyond those already provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, that they are incompatible with the Federal hours of service regulations, and that they cause an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce. The California MRB rules, therefore, are preempted under 49 U.S.C. 31141(c).