The Haulers of Agriculture and Livestock Safety (HAULS) Act of 2021 was recently introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. John Rose (R-TN-06) and Darren Soto (D-FL-09).
The legislation is a companion bill to S.792, which would help give livestock haulers flexibility. The HAULS Act would add a 150-air-mile-radius exemption under hours-of-service regulations for those transporting livestock or agricultural commodities. The bill would also eliminate seasonal harvest requirements, making the exemption available year-round in all states, and update the definition of an ag commodity.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) applauded the measure. “Transporting live animals is not like transporting a truckload of toilet paper—and nobody knows that better than livestock haulers,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Allison Rivera. “When one-size-fits-all government mandates fail to account for expertise on the ground, haulers are put in the impossible position of either complying with regulations or doing what they know is best to humanely and safely complete their haul.”
