In a move demonstrating bipartisan support, a recent Senate Highway Bill was passed with several major amendments designed to lift government regulation from farmers moving their produce.

The two amendments related to exemptions for agricultural truck drivers. The first, sponsored by Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Kansas Republican Pat Roberts, will continue current exemptions on agricultural truck drivers, exempting them from prohibitions addressing maximum driving and on-duty times during the busy harvest season.

The second amendment, sponsored by Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley, Pennsylvania Republican Pat Toomey, and Missouri Republican Roy Blunt, would exempt farmers from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses and would exempt them from regulations that apply to long-haul truckers.

The head of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association praised the amendments, stating, “Farmers and ranchers are not professional truck drivers and shouldn’t be treated as such. Hauling livestock to market two times a year is hardly the same as hauling goods across the country on a daily basis.”

Other farm advocacy groups also praised the bill for clarifying often-confusing state regulations. According to the Farm Bureau President, “The amendment is important because some states exempt farm vehicles while others do not. Under the current situation, merely the act of crossing state lines can trigger conflicting requirements for some farmers who are doing nothing more than hauling their own crop.”

In response to the Senate bill, the House has scrapped their Highway Bill, choosing instead to vote on the Senate version.

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer