The HAULS Act modifies federal trucking regulations to expand exemptions from hours-of-service rules—which limit how long drivers can work without rest—for vehicles transporting agricultural products and livestock. Currently, these exemptions apply only during planting and harvest seasons as defined by individual states; the bill removes this seasonal restriction and instead allows exemptions for drivers operating within a 150 air-mile radius of where the agricultural goods originate or are delivered. The legislation also broadens the definition of "agricultural commodity" to include live animals (livestock, fish, insects), animal products (milk, eggs, honey), fresh produce, forestry products, and animal feed, with a requirement that the Transportation Secretary finalize updated regulatory definitions within 180 days of the bill's enactment. The changes mainly affect agricultural and livestock haulers, who will gain year-round operational flexibility, and farming operations that transport their own goods. The bill contains no new federal funding or spending provisions.
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