SHIP IT Act Introduced in the U.S. House
With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I’m Haylie Shipp.
Who doesn’t like things with a catchy title…especially for me when includes the word “ship.” This week we did see a pair of House lawmakers introduce the “SHIP IT Act.” The legislation seeks to address the supply chain backlog in the freight network at U.S. ports.
The Act was introduced by two Republican Representatives: Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota and Byron Donalds of Florida.
Wait for it – the catch titles get better. This legislation builds on the “STOP the GRINCH Act.” That was introduced last fall. That Christmas-themed bill was introduced in November of ’21 to ease supply-chain and inflation pressures by streamlining or suspending certain federal regulations on ports, ships, and trucks.
So again, this expands on it, but notable items included in this SHIP IT Act: it would temporarily suspend the hours-of-service requirements for truckers transporting goods directly to ports, allow 18-year-olds to drive commercial trucks to U.S. ports, and identify federal lands that could be used for temporary storage of freight.
Fischbach says, “Congress should seize any opportunity to ease supply-chain tensions,” adding that, “The SHIP IT Act would do this by targeting specific needs in ports, shipping, and trucking.”
