§31141 — Title 49 Transportation | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation reviews state laws and rules about commercial motor vehicle safety and decides if a state may enforce them. States that get federal safety money must send the Secretary any new law or rule right away. The Secretary will say a state rule is either the same as the federal rule, less strict, or extra/more strict. If it is the same, the state may enforce it. If it is less strict, the state may not enforce it. If it is extra or more strict, the state may enforce it unless the Secretary finds the rule has no safety benefit, conflicts with the federal rule, or would create an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce (the Secretary may consider how similar state rules add up). Anyone, including a state, can ask the Secretary for a waiver of a no-enforcement decision. The Secretary must give a hearing before deciding and must grant the waiver quickly if it is in the public interest and keeps commercial vehicles safe. If the Secretary says a state law may not be enforced, the state gets written notice within 10 days. A person harmed by the Secretary’s decision or by a waiver ruling has 60 days to ask a U.S. court of appeals (the D.C. Circuit or the circuit where they live or do business) for review. The court can grant relief under federal administrative law, and its judgment can be reviewed only by the Supreme Court under 28 U.S.C. 1254. The Secretary can start these reviews on the Secretary’s own or after someone asks.

Title 49, §31141

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(a)A State may not enforce a State law or regulation on commercial motor vehicle safety that the Secretary of Transportation decides under this section may not be enforced.

(b)A State receiving funds made available under section 31104 that enacts a State law or issues a regulation on commercial motor vehicle safety shall submit a copy of the law or regulation to the Secretary immediately after the enactment or issuance.

(c)(1)The Secretary shall review State laws and regulations on commercial motor vehicle safety. The Secretary shall decide whether the State law or regulation—

(A)has the same effect as a regulation prescribed by the Secretary under section 31136;

(B)is less stringent than such regulation; or

(C)is additional to or more stringent than such regulation.

(2)If the Secretary decides a State law or regulation has the same effect as a regulation prescribed by the Secretary under section 31136 of this title, the State law or regulation may be enforced.

(3)If the Secretary decides a State law or regulation is less stringent than a regulation prescribed by the Secretary under section 31136 of this title, the State law or regulation may not be enforced.

(4)If the Secretary decides a State law or regulation is additional to or more stringent than a regulation prescribed by the Secretary under section 31136 of this title, the State law or regulation may be enforced unless the Secretary also decides that—

(A)the State law or regulation has no safety benefit;

(B)the State law or regulation is incompatible with the regulation prescribed by the Secretary; or

(C)enforcement of the State law or regulation would cause an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce.

(5)In deciding under paragraph (4) whether a State law or regulation will cause an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce, the Secretary may consider the effect on interstate commerce of implementation of that law or regulation with the implementation of all similar laws and regulations of other States.

(d)(1)A person (including a State) may petition the Secretary for a waiver of a decision of the Secretary that a State law or regulation may not be enforced under this section. The Secretary shall grant the waiver, as expeditiously as possible, if the person demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the waiver is consistent with the public interest and the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles.

(2)Before deciding whether to grant or deny a petition for a waiver under this subsection, the Secretary shall give the petitioner an opportunity for a hearing on the record.

(e)Not later than 10 days after making a decision under subsection (c) of this section that a State law or regulation may not be enforced, the Secretary shall give written notice to the State of that decision.

(f)(1)Not later than 60 days after the Secretary makes a decision under subsection (c) of this section, or grants or denies a petition for a waiver under subsection (d) of this section, a person (including a State) adversely affected by the decision, grant, or denial may file a petition for judicial review. The petition may be filed in the court of appeals of the United States for the District of Columbia Circuit or in the court of appeals of the United States for the circuit in which the person resides or has its principal place of business.

(2)The court has jurisdiction to review the decision, grant, or denial and to grant appropriate relief, including interim relief, as provided in chapter 7 of title 5.

(3)A judgment of a court under this subsection may be reviewed only by the Supreme Court under section 1254 of title 28.

(4)The remedies provided for in this subsection are in addition to other remedies provided by law.

(g)To review a State law or regulation on commercial motor vehicle safety under this section, the Secretary may initiate a regulatory proceeding on the Secretary’s own initiative or on petition of an interested person (including a State).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 31141(a)49 App.:2507(a).Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98–554, § 208(a)–(g), (i), 98 Stat. 2836, 2838. 31141(b)49 App.:2507(b). 31141(c)49 App.:2507(c). 31141(d)49 App.:2507(d). 31141(e)49 App.:2507(e). 31141(f)49 App.:2507(f). 31141(g)49 App.:2507(g). 31141(h)49 App.:2507(h).Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98–554, § 208(h), 98 Stat. 2838; Nov. 18, 1988, Pub. L. 100–690, § 9109, 102 Stat. 4530. 49 App.:2507(i). In this section, language about whether a State law or regulation may be “in effect” is omitted as redundant to language about whether it may be “enforced”. The words “regulatory proceeding” are substituted for “rulemaking proceeding” for consistency in the revised title and because “rule” is synonymous with “regulation”. In subsection (a), the words “with respect to commercial motor vehicles” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (b)(1), the words “Not later than 18 months after October 30, 1984, and . . . thereafter” are omitted as obsolete. In subsection (g)(1), the words “court of appeals of the United States for the District of Columbia Circuit” are substituted for “United States court of appeals for the District of Columbia” to be more precise. In subsection (g)(2), the words “Upon the filing of a petition under paragraph (1) of this subsection” are omitted as surplus. Subsection (g)(3) is substituted for 49 App.:2507(g)(3) for consistency in this part and to eliminate unnecessary words. In subsection (h), the text of 49 App.:2507(h) and the words “After the last day of the 48-month period beginning on October 30, 1984” are omitted as obsolete.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1998—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 105–178, § 4008(e)(1), added subsecs. (b) and (c) and struck out headings and text of former subsecs. (b) and (c) which related to analysis and decisions by Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Regulatory Review Panel and to review and decisions by Secretary, respectively. Subsecs. (e) to (h). Pub. L. 105–178, § 4008(e)(2), (3), redesignated subsecs. (f) to (h) as (e) to (g), respectively, and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (e). Text read as follows: “The Secretary may consolidate regulatory proceedings under this section if the Secretary decides that the consolidation will not adversely affect a party to a proceeding.”

§31141 Review and preemption of State laws and regulations