VIRGINIA FARM BUREAU, PLOWS AND POLITICS

If you have been following our federal outreach and advocacy related to livestock hauler Hours of Service and Electronic Logging Devices, you know this is a priority issue for Farm Bureau and our members. The ability to safely and efficiently haul livestock is critical not only for animal welfare, but for the viability of Virginia’s livestock operations. Farm Bureau recognizes that livestock haulers need flexibility in the hours they are permitted to be on the road so they can address the unique challenges of hauling livestock. Farm Bureau has been working towards hours of service reform in recent years and continues to push for reasonable and workable reforms.

This week, Representatives Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Roger Marshall (R- Kan.) circulated a “Dear Colleague Letter” supporting a one-year delay on implementation of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) for livestock haulers to be included in FY2020 appropriations. Currently, livestock haulers have an exemption from ELDs through the end of this fiscal year. Inclusion of the following language would keep the exemption in place for another year.

SEC. ___. EXEMPTION FROM REQUIREMENT FOR ELECTRONIC LOGGING DEVICE.

 None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Transportation by this Act or any other Act during the current fiscal year may be obligated or expended to implement, administer, or enforce the requirements of section 31137 of title 49, United States Code, or any regulation issued by the Secretary pursuant to such section, with respect to the use of electronic logging devices by operators of commercial motor vehicles, as defined in section 31132(1) of such title, transporting livestock as defined in section 602 of the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 (7 U.S.C. 1471) or insects.

We were proud to see Virginia Representatives Riggleman and Spanberger sign-on to this letter. We encourage you to reach out to Reps. Riggleman and Spanberger and thank them for their support of Virginia’s livestock haulers, and common sense ELD regulations for agriculture.

For a copy of the letter, complete with signatures, please click here.