FMCSA Amends FR on Lease and Interchange of Passenger Vehicles

FMCSA Amends FR on Lease and Interchange of Passenger Vehicles.pdf

On August 14, 2019 (84 FR 40272) the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) amended its May 27, 2015, final rule on Lease and Interchange of Vehicles; Motor Carriers of Passengers (2015 final rule) in response to petitions for rulemaking.  This final rule narrows the applicability of the 2015 final rule by excluding certain contracts and other agreements between motor carriers of passengers that have active passenger carrier operating authority registrations with FMCSA from the definition of lease and the associated regulatory requirements. For passenger carriers that remain subject to the leasing and interchange requirements, FMCSA returns the bus marking requirement to its July 1, 2015, state with slight modifications to add references to leased vehicles; revises the exception for the delayed writing of a lease during certain emergencies; and removes the 24-hour lease notification requirement.  This final rule is effective October 15, 2019.  Compliance date: As of October 15, 2019, the compliance date for the requirements in subpart G of 49 CFR part 390 (§§ 390.401 and 390.403) is January 1, 2021.  Comments sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the collection of information must be received by OMB on or before September 13, 2019. OMB must receive your comments by this date in order to act quickly on the information collection request.  Petitions for reconsideration of this final rule must be submitted to the Start Printed Page 40273FMCSA Administrator no later than September 13, 2019.