According to a notice that will be published in the Monday, May 9, 2011, Federal Register, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is adding four additional documents to the public docket and has reopened the proposed regulation’s comment period for 30 days. FMCSA is only accepting comments on these four documents during the comment period.

In the notice, FMCSA states that before the agency can complete work on a final rule it will need to receive and analyze all of the comments it receives on these additions to the docket and is unable to publish a final rule by the July 26, 2011, deadline.

The deadline for a new final rule was the result of an October 26, 2009, settlement reached in a lawsuit against the agency. Under the terms of the agreement, FMCSA is required to submit a final rule within 21 months of the settlement.

Source: JJ Keller & Associates, Inc.