Granting Governors the Authority to Extend States of Emergency Related to Home Heating Fuel Shortages (S. 2086)

What is S. 2086?

(Updated July 18, 2017)

This bill was enacted on June 30, 2014

According to the press release from bill cosponsor Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), the bill 

grants state governors the authority to extend a state of emergency due to home heating fuel shortages for two additional 30-day periods. Under current law, the governor of a state can declare a state of emergency, which provides a 30-day exemption from federal regulations for commercial motor vehicles to expedite delivery. These include exemptions for Hours of Service regulations restricting the amount of time truck drivers can operate. These regulatory exemptions expire at the conclusion of the 30-day period unless extended by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) or otherwise addressed by a Presidential disaster declaration.

The bill also states that the Energy Information Administration (EIA) is 

to provide an early warning to governors in a given Petroleum Administration for Defense (PAD) District if its home heating fuel inventory falls below the most recent five-year average for more than three consecutive weeks.

This bill passed the Senate on May 20th, 2014, and has been sent to the House for consideration. 

Argument in favor

More aptly manages propane supplies, keeping more families warm and well.

Argument opposed

A bill written by the natural gas lobby to increase their earnings across the Midwest.

Impact

The bill impacts federal regulations for motor vehicles in the context of a state of emergency.

Cost of S. 2086

The CBO estimates that implementing the bill would have no significant impact on the federal budget.

Additional Info

Media: