S.Amdt. 690

SA 690. Mr. WYDEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 605 proposed by Mr. Inhofe to the bill H.R. 3, to
authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and
transit programs, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on
the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle G of title I, add the following:

SEC. 17__. HOURS OF SERVICE FOR OPERATORS OF HELICOPTER
SUPPORT VEHICLES ENGAGED IN ACTIVE FIRE
SUPPRESSION ACTIVITIES.

Section 345 of the National Highway System Designation Act
of 1995 (49 U.S.C. 31136 note; 109 Stat. 613) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
``(6) Operators of helicopter support vehicles engaged in
active fire suppression activities.--
``(A) Inapplicability of federal regulations.--Regulations
described in paragraph (1) shall not apply to a driver of a
vehicle engaged in the support of a helicopter engaged in
active fire suppression activities.
``(B) Prohibition on state regulations.--A State, a
political subdivision of a State, an interstate agency, or an
entity consisting of 2 or more States shall not enact or
enforce any law, rule, regulation, or standard that imposes a
requirement that is similar to a requirement contained in the
regulations described in paragraph (1) on a driver of a
vehicle engaged in the support of a helicopter engaged in
active fire suppression activities.'';
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``Nothing'' and
inserting ``Except as provided in subsection (a)(6),
nothing''; and
(3) in the first sentence of subsection (c), by striking
``paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``an exemption under
paragraph (2) or (6) of subsection (a)''.
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