Substitute House Bill No. 6823
          Substitute House Bill No. 6823

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-191


AN   ACT  ALLOWING  DRIVERS  OF  COMMERCIAL  MOTOR
VEHICLES INVOLVED IN EMERGENCY-RELATED  ACTIVITIES
TO EXCEED THE HOURS OF SERVICE REQUIREMENT.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section  1.  Subsection (b) of section 14-163c
of  the  general  statutes  is  repealed  and  the
following is substituted in lieu thereof:
    (b) The provisions relative to maximum driving
and on-duty time  as  set  forth  in  the  Code of
Federal Regulations, Title  49,  Part 395, Section
395.3, and as  adopted by reference in regulations
adopted  pursuant  to   subsection   (a)  of  this
section, shall not  apply  to  any  public service
company  vehicle with  a  commercial  registration
when such vehicle  is used to transport passengers
or property to  or  from  any portion of the state
for the purpose of relief or assistance in case of
major loss of  utility  service  [,  a disaster or
other state of emergency declared by the Governor.
For the purposes  of  this  subsection  "disaster"
shall include, but not be limited to, a hurricane,
snowstorm, ice storm,  flood, fire or earthquake.]
OR TO ANY  MOTOR  CARRIER  OR  DRIVER  OPERATING A
VEHICLE WITH A  COMMERCIAL  REGISTRATION WHEN SUCH
VEHICLE IS USED TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY RELIEF DURING
AN EMERGENCY IN  ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF
TITLE 49, SECTION  390.23  OF  SAID  CODE. FOR THE
PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION, (1) "EMERGENCY" MEANS
ANY   HURRICANE,  TORNADO,   STORM   INCLUDING   A
THUNDERSTORM, SNOWSTORM, ICE  STORM,  BLIZZARD  OR
SANDSTORM, HIGH WATER,  WIND-DRIVEN  WATER,  TIDAL
WAVE, TSUNAMI, EARTHQUAKE,  VOLCANIC ERUPTION, MUD
SLIDE, DROUGHT, FOREST  FIRE,  EXPLOSION, BLACKOUT
OR OTHER OCCURRENCE,  NATURAL  OR  MAN-MADE, WHICH
INTERRUPTS  THE  DELIVERY  OF  ESSENTIAL  SERVICES
INCLUDING ELECTRICITY, MEDICAL CARE, SEWER, WATER,
TELECOMMUNICATIONS      AND      TELECOMMUNICATION
TRANSMISSIONS OR ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES INCLUDING FOOD
AND FUEL OR  OTHERWISE IMMEDIATELY THREATENS HUMAN
LIFE OR PUBLIC  WELFARE,  PROVIDED SUCH HURRICANE,
TORNADO  OR  OTHER   EVENT   RESULTS   IN:  (A)  A
DECLARATION OF AN  EMERGENCY  BY  THE PRESIDENT OF
THE  UNITED  STATES,   THE   GOVERNOR,   OR  THEIR
AUTHORIZED  REPRESENTATIVES  HAVING  AUTHORITY  TO
DECLARE EMERGENCIES, BY  THE  REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF
MOTOR  CARRIERS  FOR   THE  REGION  IN  WHICH  THE
OCCURRENCE HAPPENS OR  BY  OTHER FEDERAL, STATE OR
LOCAL  GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS  HAVING  AUTHORITY  TO
DECLARE EMERGENCIES, OR  (B) A REQUEST BY A POLICE
OFFICER FOR TOW TRUCKS TO MOVE WRECKED OR DISABLED
MOTOR VEHICLES, AND  (2)  "EMERGENCY RELIEF" MEANS
AN OPERATION IN WHICH A MOTOR CARRIER OR DRIVER OF
A COMMERCIAL MOTOR  VEHICLE  IS  PROVIDING  DIRECT
ASSISTANCE TO SUPPLEMENT  STATE  AND LOCAL EFFORTS
AND CAPABILITIES TO  SAVE  LIVES OR PROPERTY OR TO
PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY AS A RESULT OF AN
EMERGENCY.
    Sec. 2. This  act  shall  take  effect July 1,
1997.

Approved June 24, 1997