Rubio Sponsors Transporting Livestock Reform Bill

Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) has joined Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse (R) to introduce the “Transporting Livestock Across America Safely (TLAAS) Act,” which aims to reform federal regulations in the way that haulers transport livestock across the United States by enacting changes in the Hours of Service regulations for livestock haulers.

Commenting on his support for the bill, Senator Rubio detailed that “Florida’s livestock and agriculture industry play a critical role in our state’s economy. This important, bipartisan legislation will ensure that burdensome regulation from Washington bureaucrats doesn’t put this industry at risk.”

Sasse, who introduced the bill earlier this week, also detailed his support for the bill, saying that “Agriculture drives Nebraska, and nobody works harder to ensure the safety and well-being of livestock than the Nebraskans who hustle day in and day out.”

Moreover, Sasse assures that “overly strict regulations are hurting our ranchers and our haulters.”

In an effort to ease this tension, Sasse described that his “legislation pushes back against those dumb regulations and works to promote safe transportation. This is good, reasonable, common-sense, bipartisan legislation – and it should pass so we can give Nebraskans the flexibility they need to keep livestock safe and to keep our state running and feeding the world.”

A bipartisan group of 15 Senators are cosponsoring the bill.

In addition, a number of groups are also lending their support, which includes the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the Livestock Marketing Association and the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association.

The legislation was directed to the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee this week. There is a counterpart in the House, which is being led by Florida rep. Ted Yoho (R), a member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, and Minnesota rep. Collin Peterson (D).

The House proposal was introduced by Yoho and Peterson back in June 2018.