Johnson Leads Bill to Secure Supply Chains in Emergencies
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Jim Costa (D-CA) introduced the Modernizing Operations for Vehicles in Emergencies (MOVE) Act to provide flexibility and certainty to our supply chains in times of emergency.
“It’s more important than ever to ensure goods are moving in an emergency,” said Johnson. “The MOVE Act is another way to remove unnecessary roadblocks and red tape in our supply chain to prevent another crisis like we saw during and in the aftermath of the pandemic.”
“During times of emergency and the pandemic, struggling communities in my district were hit hardest by roadblocks to our supply chain,” said Costa. “This bipartisan legislation will remove barriers that prevent us from delivering vital relief when communities need it most.”
“When hospitals and nursing homes are low on medicine, families are running out of food and water, and electricity is nonexistent, the last thing communities responding to natural disasters should have to worry about is bureaucratic red tape delaying truck drivers from moving relief supplies as quickly as possible,” said American Trucking Association President & CEO Chris Spear. “We commend Congressman Johnson on introducing this commonsense measure that will allow trucks to expedite the delivery of relief wherever and whenever it is needed.”
“The MOVE Act is a necessary step forward in ensuring that Shippers Coalition’s members are able to promptly and efficiently respond in times of crisis,” said Sean Joyce, Executive Director of the Shippers Coalition. “We commend Congressman Johnson for taking this common-sense step forward in modernizing our supply chain. By expanding the definition of an emergency, the legislation guarantees that Americans across the country will continue to have access to essential goods in their times of need.”
Background:
In times of emergency or disaster, states have the authority to waive federal weight limits on the interstate system. These waivers allow shippers to expeditiously deliver relief supplies during times of disaster. Many companies used waivers during the pandemic to secure the supply chain and help American families access food, water, and products important to COVID-19 prevention, like cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products. Waivers are similarly used during natural disasters to provide much-needed relief supplies to impacted communities.
Under current law, special permits may be issued if the President has declared the emergency to be a major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Many emergencies that require shipper flexibility do not meet that standard, including COVID-19, which didn’t meet that test and legislation was needed to grant flexibility.
The MOVE Act modernizes the authority for vehicle weight waivers in cases of natural disasters, disease, and other emergencies that negatively impact commerce and supply chains.
The Modernizing Operations for Vehicles in Emergencies (MOVE) Act:
- Expands the circumstances under which the Federal Government would allow a state to waive Federal weight limits on the Interstate System to include declarations by Governors, including declarations regarding disease and declarations regarding challenging supply chain conditions.
- Allows declarations to remain in effect for 270 days to allow for time needed to respond to emergencies and challenging conditions, compared to the 120-day maximum under current law.
Read full bill text here.
###