Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Spare Fuses

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>49 CFR Part 393</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FMCSA-2025-0109]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2126-AC83</RIN> <SUBJECT>Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Spare Fuses</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department of Transportation (DOT). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> FMCSA proposes to remove the requirement for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to be equipped with at least one spare fuse for each type and size of fuse needed for the parts and accessories of the CMV. This proposed change would remove an unnecessary requirement from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Comments must be received on or before July 29, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> You may submit comments identified by Docket Number FMCSA-2025-0109 using any of the following methods: • <E T="03">Federal eRulemaking Portal:</E> Go to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2025-0109/document.</E> Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. • <E T="03">Mail:</E> Dockets Operations, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001. • <E T="03">Hand Delivery or Courier:</E> Dockets Operations, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9317 or (202) 366-9826 before visiting Dockets Operations. • <E T="03">Fax:</E> (202) 493-2251. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Mr. David Sutula, Chief, Vehicle and Roadside Operations Division, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590 0001; (202) 366-9209; <E T="03">David.Sutula@dot.gov.</E> If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Dockets Operations at (202) 366-9826. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: </HD> FMCSA organizes this NPRM as follows: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Public Participation and Request for Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Submitting Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Viewing Comments and Documents</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Privacy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Abbreviations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Legal Basis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Discussion of Proposed Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. International Impacts</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Section-by-Section Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VIII. Regulatory Analyses</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. E.O. 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review), E.O. 13563 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review), and DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. E.O. 14192 (Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Assistance for Small Entities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2"> F. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Paperwork Reduction Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. E.O. 13132 (Federalism)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Privacy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. E.O. 13175 (Indian Tribal Governments)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. Rulemaking Summary</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Public Participation and Request for Comments</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Submitting Comments</HD> If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this NPRM (FMCSA-2025-0109), indicate the specific section of this document to which your comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only one of these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and a mailing address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of your document so FMCSA can contact you if there are questions regarding your submission. To submit your comment online, go to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2025-0109/document,</E> click on this NPRM, click “Comment,” and type your comment into the text box on the following screen. If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8 <FR>1/2</FR> by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. FMCSA will consider all comments and material received during the comment period. <HD SOURCE="HD3">Confidential Business Information (CBI)</HD> CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to the NPRM contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to the NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission that constitutes CBI as “PROPIN” to indicate it contains proprietary information. FMCSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the Freedom of Information Act, and they will not be placed in the public docket of the NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Brian Dahlin, Chief, Regulatory Evaluation Division, Office of Policy, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001 or via email at <E T="03">brian.g.dahlin@dot.gov.</E> At this time, you need not send a duplicate hardcopy of your electronic CBI submissions to FMCSA headquarters. Any comments FMCSA receives not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking. <HD SOURCE="HD2">B. Viewing Comments and Documents</HD> To view any documents mentioned as being available in the docket, go to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2025-0109/document</E> and choose the document to review. To view comments, click this NPRM, then click “Browse Comments.” If you do not have access to the internet, you may view the docket online by visiting Dockets Operations on the ground floor of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9317 or (202) 366-9826 before visiting Dockets Operations. <HD SOURCE="HD2">C. Privacy</HD> In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its regulatory process. DOT posts these comments, including any personal information the commenter provides, to <E T="03">www.regulations.gov</E> as described in the system of records notice DOT/ALL 14 (Federal Docket Management System (FDMS)), which can be reviewed at <E T="03">https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/privacy/privacy-act-system-records-notices.</E> The comments are posted without edits and are searchable by the name of the submitter. <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Abbreviations</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ANPRM Advanced notice of proposed rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CMV Commercial motor vehicle</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DOT Department of Transportation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FMCSRs Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UMRA The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S.C. United States Code</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">III. Legal Basis</HD> FMCSA's authority to promulgate regulations governing Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation (49 CFR part 393) rests on the requirement in 49 U.S.C. 31136(a). That provision requires the Secretary to “prescribe regulations on commercial motor vehicle safety.” At a minimum, the regulations shall ensure that: (1) CMVs are maintained, equipped, loaded, and operated safely; (2) the responsibilities imposed on operators of CMVs do not impair their ability to operate the vehicles safely; (3) the physical condition of operators of CMVs is adequate to enable them to operate vehicles safely; (4) the operation of CMVs does not have a deleterious effect on the physical condition of the operators; and (5) drivers are not coerced by motor carriers, shippers, receivers, or transportation intermediaries to operate a vehicle in violation of a regulation promulgated under 49 U.S.C. 31136 (which is the basis for much of the FMCSRs) or 49 U.S.C. chapters 51 or 313 (49 U.S.C. 31136(a)). The NPRM does not implicate the driver-centered requirements of sections 31136(a)(2) through (4). As the amendment proposed by this rulemaking pertains only to the carrying of spare parts that are no longer needed, FMCSA believes it is unlikely CMV drivers would be exposed to greater risk of coercion. To ensure that commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) are safely “equipped” and “operated,” as required by 49 U.S.C. 31136(a)(1), FMCSA requires that certain emergency equipment be present on all power units (49 CFR 393.95). Included in the list of required equipment are spare fuses “needed to operate any required parts and accessories” (49 CFR 393.95(b)). For the reasons discussed below, FMCSA has determined that the requirement to carry spare fuses is not needed to ensure that CMVs are “equipped” or “operated” safely. <HD SOURCE="HD1">IV. Background</HD ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 25k characters. 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