U.S House of Representatives

Congress passes ocean shipping reform; Biden plans to sign soon

Container vessel at Port of Los Angeles

The first major overhaul of regulations governing U.S. container trades since 1998 was easily approved by Congress on Monday and President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law shortly.

By a vote of 369-42, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) of 2022, which is the Senate’s version of a reform bill passed by the House in December.

The legislation, which broadens the powers of the Federal Maritime Commission to address unfair business practices on the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/congress-passes-ocean-shipping-reform-biden-plans-to-sign-soon

House passes bill expanding powers of maritime regulators

By a vote of 364 to 60, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 (OSRA) on Wednesday. The bipartisan legislation moves to the U.S. Senate, where lawmakers are preparing a companion bill they say will be introduced soon.

Spearheaded by Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., and Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., the bill gives the Federal Maritime Commission the power to impose minimum requirements on ocean carrier service contracts, and shifts the burden of proof...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/house-passes-bill-expanding-powers-of-maritime-regulators

Loaded and Rolling: House hearing on driver shortage, Operation Open Roads, Class 8 used truck inflation

(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
House Transportation Committee hearing on truck driver shortages

In remarks to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, MIT Professor David Correll recently outlined yearslong research conducted by the MIT Freightlab, detailing a chronic underutilization of the American truck driver. 

Below are some highlights and reporting from the event. Interestingly there was additional research regarding whether electronic logs can predict if a driver will...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/loaded-and-rolling-house-hearing-on-driver-shortage-operation-open-roads-class-8-used-truck-inflation

Medically Necessary: Stimulus bill has billions for vaccine distribution, executive orders signal supply chain focus and Merck helps J&J produce vaccine

U.S. Capitol Building

This is an excerpt from the March 2, 2021 edition of Medically Necessary, a health care supply chain newsletter. Subscribe here.

Good afternoon. Medically Necessary is a newsletter by Matt Blois about the health care supply chain — how we get drugs, devices and medical supplies to health care providers and patients.

Stimulus bill has billions to boost vaccine distribution

The COVID-19 stimulus bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives includes billions of dollars for the vaccine...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/medically-necessary:-stimulus-bill-has-billions-for-vaccine-distribution-executive-orders-signal-supply-chain-focus-and-merck-helps-j;j-produce-vaccine

Bipartisan legislators unveil bill aimed at helping railcar manufacturers

A photograph of a train of boxcars traveling through a desert-like field. There is a mountain range in the background.

A bipartisan group of congressional legislators has introduced a bill that would provide a temporary tax credit to railcar manufacturers that have been hit hard by pandemic-induced, adverse market conditions.

The Freight Rail Assistance & Investment to Launch Coronavirus-era Activity & Recovery Act, or Freight RAILCAR Act, seeks to provide a 50% tax credit for new railcars or for the modification of existing railcars to help offset costs, according to the representatives. The tax credit would...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/bipartisan-legislators-unveil-bill-aimed-at-helping-railcar-manufacturers

House vote imminent to raise mandatory insurance coverage to $2 million

Lawmakers marking up the U.S. House of Representatives’ version of the surface transportation reauthorization bill are considering an amendment that would more than double the required amount of insurance coverage for truck owners from $750,000 to $2 million.

Proponents of the amendment argue that the current insurance liability requirement does not adequately compensate victims of accidents involving large trucks. Opponents, including small-business truck owners, contend that raising the limits...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/house-vote-imminent-to-raise-mandatory-insurance-coverage-to-2-million