{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8455bc22-b5b5-4f24-a394-fff8d7b55ca5", "Thune, Klobuchar Request Update on Implementation of Home Heating Fuel Bill", "2014-10-07", "2014", "2014-10", "Republican", "House", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\tU.S. Senators John Thune (R-South Dakota), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) sent a letter today to the acting administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Scott Darling, and the administrator of the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Adam Sieminski, calling for an update from both agencies on the implementation of their Reliable Home Heating Act, which was signed into law on June 30, 2014.\r\nThe senators write, \u201cWith another possible wet harvest, predictions of another record setting winter, and the current rail service challenges that are slowing the delivery of propane to some regions, we want to ensure that the tools provided in the Reliable Home Heating Act are available to governors and other local officials before they are potentially needed\u2026 With fall harvest and winter fast approaching, we write today to request an update on implementation of the Reliable Home Heating Act.\u201d\r\nThune and Klobuchar\u2019s Reliable Home Heating Act includes provisions to allow governors authority to provide relief from motor carrier rules in the event of a declared emergency. The legislation also requires the EIA to provide early warnings to governors if the inventory of residential heating fuel (propane, natural gas, and home heating oil) falls below the most recent five-year average for more than three consecutive weeks.\r\nPreviously, the governor of a state could declare a state of emergency due to shortages of home heating fuel, which would provide a 30-day exemption from certain federal regulations for operators of commercial motor vehicles. At the conclusion of these 30 days, the exemptions would expire unless extended by FMCSA or otherwise addressed by a presidential disaster declaration. Thune and Klobuchar\u2019s legislation gives the governor of a state the authority to extend the state of emergency for two additional 30-day periods, for a total of 90 days without FMCSA action.\r\nThe Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee has jurisdiction over the FMCSA, which is a component of the U.S. Department of Transportation.\r\nThe text of the senators\u2019 letter follows:  _\u00a0\r\nOctober 7, 2014\r\nMr. Scott Darling \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0  Acting Administrator \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0  Department of Transportation \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0  1200 New Jersey Avenue, Southeast \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0  Washington, DC 20590 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nMr. Adam Sieminski  Administrator  Energy Information Administration  Department of Energy  1000 Independence Avenue, Southwest  Washington, DC 20585\r\nDear Acting Administrator Darling and Administrator Sieminski:\r\nWith fall harvest and winter fast approaching, we write today to request an update on implementation of the Reliable Home Heating Act (P.L. 113-125), which was signed into law on June 30, 2014.\u00a0 As you may recall, a wet harvest, record low temperatures, and changes in propane distribution via pipeline resulted in propane and home heating fuel shortages for much of the country, including in our home states of South Dakota and Minnesota, last year.\u00a0 The situation was so severe that many governors declared states of emergency.\u00a0\r\nIn order to better prepare for propane and heating fuel shortages and regional supply disruptions in the future, we sponsored the Reliable Home Heating Act.\u00a0 The Act seeks to provide governors greater autonomy when they declare heating fuel emergencies.\u00a0 It also requires the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to provide early warnings to governors if the inventory of residential heating fuel (propane, natural gas, and home heating oil) falls below the most recent five-year average for more than three consecutive weeks.\r\nWith another possible wet harvest, predictions of another record setting winter, and the current rail service challenges that are slowing the delivery of propane to some regions, we want to ensure that the tools provided in the Reliable Home Heating Act are available to governors and other local officials before they are potentially needed.\u00a0 Specifically, has the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) alerted governors to their new ability to extend emergency orders past the initial 30 days?\u00a0 Also, has the EIA implemented the new early warning system and provided the necessary outreach to ensure that governors are aware of the system and can interpret the data when it is provided?\u00a0 Finally, during implementation of the Reliable Home Heating Act, has the FMCSA or the EIA identified any other regulatory barriers that could unnecessarily delay or disrupt propane and other home heating fuel deliveries this winter?\r\nThank you for your attention to this important request.\u00a0 We look forward to your prompt response.\u00a0\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8455bc22-b5b5-4f24-a394-fff8d7b55ca5"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1439800038933754, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}