Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives

At the urging of OOIDA, legislation to prevent the FMCSA from issuing policy on sleep apnea screening, testing and treatment without conducting an analysis of that policy’s costs and safety connection has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. OOIDA members should contact their representative in the U.S. House TODAY and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 3095.
FMCSA is considering issuing a policy that would likely require truckers with a body-mass index of 35 and above or those that may report taking an occasional nap during the workday and undergo lab-based sleep testing as part of their biannual medical examination. This policy is largely based on recommendations from doctors and others tied to the sleep industry and has not been subject to the traditional regulatory process that requires the agency to conduct an examination of the costs of their proposal. Lab-based sleep tests run into the thousands of dollars and are generally not covered by a trucker’s health insurance plan. Costs to trucking as a whole are estimated to run above $1 billion for testing alone – and FMCSA has not shown a direct connection between sleep apnea and truck accidents.

H.R. 3095 is common-sense legislation that prevents the agency from sidestepping the need to consider the costs of their policy. It also ensures that truckers will have an opportunity to make public comment on the proposal. Please call your representative in the U.S. House as soon as possible and urge him/her to co-sponsor H.R. 3095 by contacting either the office of Representative Larry Bucshon (R-IN) (pronounced: "Boo-shon") or the office of Representative Dan Lipinski (D-IL).

To contact your representative in the U.S. House, call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and provide the operator with your home zip code. The operator will connect you with the office of your elected official. If you would prefer to e-mail your Representative, please visit http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ (or http://m.house.gov/representatives/ on your smartphone) and type in your home zip code. You will then be taken to an e-mail contact form on your representative’s website.
You are also welcome to call OOIDA at 800-444-5791. Association staff will be happy to help put you in touch with your elected official.
Thank you!

 

It is bad enough that they chopped the drivers HOS and Hours,making it almost impossible to make great money.

Now this...

It will never end..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...Until truckers band together and get a voice...