,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #fjj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #bh1      
#bjai,mr4 ,hoeven 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,bennet1 ,mr4 ,daines1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,mr4
 ,rounds1 ,mr4 ,crapo1 ,mr4 ,risch1 ,mr4
 ,jones1 ,ms4 ,ernst1 ,mrs4             
,hyde-,smith1 and ,mr4 ,tester7         
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to require 
the ,secretary of ,transportation to    
establish a working group to study      
regulatory and legislative improvements 
for the livestock1 insect1 and          
agricultural commodities transport      
industries1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,modernizing ,agricultural         
,transportation ,act4  #b4 ,working     
group on improving the livestock1       
insect1 and agricultural commodities    
transport industries  7a7 ,definitions  
,in this section3  7#a7 ,agricultural   

commodity ,the term agricultural        
commodity means-- 7,a7 an agricultural  
commodity as defined in section #eah of 
the ,federal ,crop ,insurance ,act 7#g  
,u4,s4,c4 #aeah72 and  7,b7 an          
agricultural commodity as defined in    
section #cie4b of title #di1 ,code of   
,federal ,regulations 7or successor     
regulations74  7#b7 ,livestock ,the term
 livestock has the meaning given the    
term in section #fjb of the ,emergency  
,livestock ,feed ,assistance ,act of    
#aihh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #adga74  7#c7       
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of ,transportation4  7#d7
 ,working group ,the term working group 
means the working group established by  
the ,secretary under subsection 7b74    
7b7 ,establishment ,not later than #abj 
days after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary shall establish a 
working group--  7#a7 to identify       
obstacles to safe1 humane1 and          
market-efficient transport of livestock1
 insects1 and agricultural commodities2 

and  7#b7 to develop guidelines and     
recommended regulatory or legislative   
actions to improve the safe1 humane1 and
 efficient transport of livestock1      
insects1 and agricultural commodities4  
7c7 ,outreach ,in carrying out the      
duties of the working group under       
subsection 7b71 the working group shall 
consult with--  7#a7 interested         
,governors2  7#b7 representatives of    
,state and local agricultural and       
highway safety agencies2  7#c7 other    
representatives of relevant ,state and  
local agencies2  7#d7 members of the    
public with experience in--  7,a7 the   
livestock1 insect1 and agricultural     
commodities industries2  7,b7 the       
livestock trucking industry2 or  7,c7   
transportation safety2 and  7#e7 any    
other groups or stakeholders that the   
working group determines to be          
appropriate4  7d7 ,considerations ,in   
carrying out the duties of the working  
group under subsection 7b71 the working 
group shall-- 7#a7 consider the impact  

of the existing hours of service        
regulations under subpart ,a of part    
#cie of title #di1 ,code of ,federal    
,regulations 7or successor regulations71
 on the commercial transport of         
livestock1 insects1 and agricultural    
commodities2  7#b7 identify             
incompatibilities and other challenges  
and concerns caused by the hours of     
service regulations described in        
paragraph 7#a7 and electronic logging   
device regulations under subpart ,b of  
part #cie of title #di1 ,code of        
,federal ,regulations 7or successor     
regulations71 on the transport of       
livestock1 insects1 and agricultural    
commodities2  7#c7 identify initiatives 
and regulatory changes that maintain and
 protect the safety of highways and     
allow for the safe1 efficient1 and      
productive marketplace transport of     
livestock1 insects1 and agricultural    
commodities2 and  7#d7 consider such    
other issues as the ,secretary considers
 appropriate4  7e7 ,composition  7#a7   

,in general ,the ,secretary 7or a       
designee7 shall serve as the chair of   
the working group4  7#b7 ,membership    
7,a7 ,in general ,the working group     
shall be composed of members appointed  
by the ,secretary1 including individuals
 with knowledge and expertise that      
includes highway safety1 the commercial 
motor vehicle and transportation        
industries1 animal husbandry1 and the   
transportation of livestock1 insects1   
and agricultural commodities4  7,b7     
,requirement ,the working group shall   
include1 at a minimum1 representatives  
of-- 7i7 the ,department of             
,agriculture2  7ii7 ,state agencies1    
including ,state departments of         
agriculture and transportation2  7iii7  
highway and commercial motor vehicle    
safety organizations2  7iv7 agricultural
 producers including producers of       
livestock1 insects1 and agricultural    
commodities2 and  7v7 commercial motor  
vehicle operators1 including small      
business operators and operators who    

haul livestock1 insects1 and            
agricultural commodities4  7f7 ,working 
group report and regulatory action  7#a7
 ,report ,not later than #a year after  
the date on which the working group is  
established1 the working group shall    
submit to the ,secretary a report that  
includes--  7,a7 the findings of the    
working group1 including a summary of   
the views expressed by individuals and  
entities consulted under subsection 7c72
 and  7,b7 the initiatives and          
regulatory and legislative changes that 
the working group identifies as         
necessary to protect the safety of      
highways and allow for the safe1        
efficient1 and productive marketplace   
transport of livestock1 insects1 and    
agricultural commodities4  7#b7         
,regulatory changes ,not later than #abj
 days after the date on which the       
,secretary receives the report under    
paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall    
propose regulatory changes that take    
into account the findings and           

recommendations of the working group1   
including--  7,a7 changes to the hours  
of service regulations under subpart ,a 
of part #cie of title #di1 ,code of     
,federal ,regulations 7or successor     
regulations72  7,b7 changes to the      
electronic logging device regulations   
under subpart ,b of part #cie of title  
#di1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or 
successor regulations71 including       
changes to regulations relating to the  
performance and design of electronic    
logging devices2 and  7,c7 any other    
changes that the working group          
recommends4  7#c7 ,application          
,subsections 7a7 through 7f7 of section 
#caacg of title #di1 ,united ,states    
,code 7including any regulations        
promulgated to carry out those          
subsections71 shall not apply to        
commercial motor vehicles hauling       
livestock1 insects1 or agricultural     
commodities until the date on which the 
,secretary proposes regulatory changes  
under paragraph 7#b74  7g7 ,report and  

recommendations by ,secretary ,not later
 than #cj days after the date on which  
the ,secretary receives the report of   
the working group under subsection      
7f77#a71 the ,secretary shall submit to 
the appropriate committees of ,congress 
a report1 including--  7#a7 a summary of
 the views expressed by the individuals 
and entities consulted under subsection 
7c72  7#b7 a description of the findings
 of the working group1 including the    
identification of any areas of general  
consensus among the non-,federal        
participants in the consultation under  
subsection 7c72 and  7#c7 any           
recommendations for legislative or      
regulatory action that would assist in  
maintaining and improving the safe1     
humane1 and market-efficient transport  
of livestock1 insects1 and agricultural 
commodities4